Life's A Stage
by jfqzx
Summary: In order to master the play known as life, we have to play up on certain roles. Thing is how do you know when you've gone too far? TezukaOC
1. Prologue

**Life's A Stage**

_Summary:__ The final year of high__-__school has come, bringing many new things. __Tezuka Kunimitsu finds himself saddled with decisions for his future, tennis, and an exchange student who is staying with his family..._

_Author's Note__: My 1st POT fic, please be nice! I don't usually write fanfic!_

_This story is in AU form. I know that the story may sound very confusing especially for people who have read my original work in my fiction press account, The World Beneath but it's simply because I have recycled the names of some places and characters, however, this has no relation to the actual TWB series.__ Since the old fic was dead and I liked the main character's name, I decided to use it here, although I know it doesn't really fit, but no, I definitely do not intend to create a Mary-Sue here. I subscribe to the fact that while Mary-Sues are Original Characters, not all OCs are MSs, and I intended to prove with this fic that that not all fic with OCs are bad._

**--- PROLOGUE ---**

The sun was blazing high in the almost cloudless sky one particularly warm spring day. Two figures ran up and down the court, seemingly undeterred by the blistering heat, not caring the blue and white backs of their polo shirts were soaked through. All they knew was the rackets in they gripped, the net between them, and that a point had to be scored soon, no matter what. Though the rest of the court was deserted, the atmosphere was choked with the intensity sparking between them, an unmistakable strong desire- to win.

The game was almost flawless, both players showing their skills to the fullest. The ball had not ceased moving, at least not for the last fifteen minutes or so, neither did the speed, filling the court with a steady constant sound, for the rhythm they had worked up was quite similar to the arms of a clock's pendulum. Both players seemed to match each other in strange harmony.

However, one thing that looked odd of this serious scene was that one of the players had the advantage despite their seemingly well- rehearsed game. He was noticeably less tired then his opponent who was pretty much running around the court to counter his strong serves, and looked as if he was barely moving at all from his spot on the court. No matter how the other player tried to lead the ball wayward, it always came right back to his personal radius. And he'd simply move only one of his feet into a different position and hit it back. It was as if he were a magnet drawing the tennis ball to him.

He then repositioned himself in a way that the other player seemed to recognise, for his opponent's eyes had widened ever so slightly and started to dash forward for the back of the court.

He swung his arm as the other started quickening his steps. The ball sailed through the air, barely missing the net in a graceful arch. His opponent lunged, racket extended as far as he could reach. It was too late. The ball dropped to the ground and suddenly rolled a few inches towards the net. The edge of the racket stopped just a mere centimetre away.

The one who lost the point picked himself off the ground, plucking onto his head, his cap that had fallen during his incredible lunge. He shook his head as if in disbelief then looked at the victor with a unnaturally wide eye, lips curving into a confident smirk though he had lost.

The main offset to the whole picture was when they met at the net to shake hands. The height different between them was very obvious, the winner being an inch or two over six feet and the other was barely past five. Also, it appeared that age wise, the winner looked a good five years or so older than the shorter boy. An onlooker might think this might be unfair, maybe even a case of bullying a junior student. But if you were following the high-school tennis scene in Kanto then you would not be fazed. One of the younger boy's earlier serves had sent the ball flying into the fence, a sizable impression burned onto it by the friction from the ball. Clearly this boy contained more strength and even secrets that met the eye and his opponent knew it well.

"4 to 6. Beat me next time." The way the taller player spoke was as if he were issuing a command.

"Mada Mada dane" came the confident reply.

With that, they walked out of the court and were about to go their separate ways when the shorter one called out.

"Buchou. Same time next week?"

"No, I will be busy. I will tell you later."

"Whatever."

--------------------------------------------------

The train station was a mad house, with not only the usual suit clad salary-men and women during the lunch hour, but also groups of youths, mostly high-schoolers on their spring break, milling around waiting for friends. Some were chatting, while others stared at the tiny screens of their mobile phones as they sent text messages, and there were those that managed to do both.

Amidst this scene of chaos, a lone person in a pale lavender shirt stood by himself next to a pillar not far from the main exit gates. His eyes roved over the numerous exits from time to time, and sometimes flickered to his wristwatch. It was pretty obvious that he was waiting for someone. The impassive expression on his face and imposing height of 6'2 made him look beyond his actual seventeen years of age.

The mass of arrivals was clearing off and the crowd was thinning till only a handful of people remained. The man's eyes flicked briefly to the clock nearby. If anyone could read his mind, they would see it struggling between calm and annoyed. Five minutes later, it would have been going into anger and to some extent, worry. _Where was she?_ His face however, maintained its solemn expression.

Another glance at his watched showed that the girl was a good twenty minutes late. For a moment he wondered if she had gotten lost, as the station had numerous exits, and even seasoned travellers got confused from time to time by the labyrinth of corridors. He took out his mobile phone and was about to flip it open when a medium pitched female voice interrupted him.

"Excuse me. Are you Tezuka-san?"

A girl with long black hair tied up into a ponytail stood in front of him. She looked flustered and was slightly out of breadth. He did not realise that he had not replied until she apologised and started to leave, obviously thinking she had made a mistake.

He was surprised at how fast she walked but his long strides managed to catch up to her easily.

"Stop."

When she made no sign of hearing him, he ventured. "Ano, Corellith-san?"

She turned and he saw that her eyes were brown like thick chocolate.

"You're Tezuka?"

"Yes, I am."

Her eyes bore a slightly confused look and then she smiled, a look of comprehension her face.

"I see. You must be their son. I thought your parents were picking me up."

"My father has been posted to the States for a year."

"I see…"

"My mother has gone with him too… for a vacation of sorts."

"Ah, but…"

"That means you're in my care."

"I see…"

"Follow me."

Before she could say anymore, he wordlessly walked towards the exit they needed to take, dragging one of her suitcases along. They took a bus which stopped about ten minutes walking distance to his house, also her home for that year.

Tezuka showed her into a decent sized bedroom at the top of the stairs. "This is our guestroom. You'll be staying here. I hope there're no problems with it. "

"No, this is fine. It looks cosy."

"Dinner is at seven. I hope ramen is fine with you. The bathroom is the first door on the left of the stairs if you need it."

"Ok. That's good…" she put her first bag on the bed for unpacking. "By the way, do you need help preparing dinn…er… hey, where did he go…"

Her housemate was no where to be seen. Jackasa sighed. So much for being friendly.

Dinner was a rather silent affair. Jackasa looked at her host's impassive face, feeling slightly disconcerted, uncomfortable and confused as to why her host was treating her so coldly. Not that she minded the silence but some conversation, any at all would be nice. "_Your host family will be like your family. You will enjoy many activities and outings together during weekends and holidays." – _Well, that is what her exchange brochure had said. Even though she hadn't been expecting all hugs and smiles, this was somewhat disappointing to tell the truth. Tezuka was probably even more quiet then she. But she also knew that she shouldn't judge him from what little interaction they had made so far. Perhaps he was one of those people who were wary of strangers but was really energetic and talkative around their friends and people who they were comfortable with. Although trying to picture Tezuka smile was strangely hard.

Ever since he had left her to her own devices, Tezuka had not said a word to her. _Why?_ Could he still be upset with her late arrival? It wasn't her fault; the train had been slightly delayed, and she hadn't been able to run since she had a big suitcase and two smaller bags in tow… and the way she had acted upon seeing him… she hadn't been the most pleasant person… when he had brought up the situation with his parents her tiredness and surprise had reduced her to giving rather unintelligible one-word answers. That was probably it, she concluded. I didn't exactly give the best first expression. Well, time to right it.

"I'm sorry I was late just now." She blurted out, shattering the silence. "My train was delayed… I did get to my station on time though. Didn't they give notice on your side?"

Tezuka made a sound that sounded like "Hnn…" but other than that he didn't respond.

"It's the truth! I'm really sorry. I really am. And I was expecting your parents to pick me up. If I hadn't remembered what you looked like from that photo in the file I would've missed you entirely… and…"

"Corellith-san, Stop...I accept your apology." He said. "And for the record, I was not angry at you, but you could've at least called knowing you were delayed."

"Oh phew that's good to hear. It's just that you haven't said much so… never mind… And yeah, I guess I was too busy panicking that I'd be late. I shouldn't have assumed they'd announce everything at your end…"

Before she could say anymore, he put out his hand, gesturing for her to stop. "That's fine. Just eat your food before it gets cold." With that, he proceeded with his own meal.

After a few minutes the silence became unbearable again. Jackasa wondered why because she was used to living by herself- Not with someone else staring at you half the time though… She decided she needed get some conversation going at least, even if she was the only one talking. "By the way, Tezuka, You may call me Jackasa. My sirname's a bit of a mouthful." she smiled. "That's what everyone calls me, even my sensei at JEDA. So you may do so as well. Though I know it's the custom in Japan not to go by first name…"

"Fine, Jackasa." It sounded a little awkward coming from him, but at least he tried. Not many people got her name right the first time, but she couldn't help the fact that she had been named after a character in a fantasy novel. She smiled and persevered. She was going to get her housemate to open up whether he liked it or not.

"And what about you? If you prefer I'd call you Kunimitsu since Tezuka's also your dad's name and it might be confusing…"

"Tezuka. Everyone calls me Tezuka."

"I see. Alright then."

…So much for that.

The only time Tezuka spoke to her in the next hour was a curt "Thank you" when she helped to wash the dishes.

Later, she was about to sleep when there was a knock on her door. He stood there, his steely expression unwavering as he looked at her.

"I just wanted you to know that I'm usually like this… so if I make give the impression that I was angry or cold, be rest assured that I'm not."

_Well... I guess that could do for an apology... _She decided and gave him a reassuring smile.

"Oh well, it's in the past now… oh, by the way, I got something for you and your family… I little thank-you gift for hosting me, it's nothing much but… Tezuka?" She looked up from rifling in one of her bags to find that he was no longer at the doorway.

She peered around the door to see that he was already halfway to his room. Why did he keep doing that! Still, refusing to let that get her spirits down she shouted down the corridor after his retreating figure.

"Oi, Tezuka! Sweet dreams!"

-----------------------------------------

To Jackasa luck, Tezuka seemed to be less tensed around her in the following days to come. Although it was not an easy thing to tell as he constantly wore that stoic expression on his face, and that every time he spoke, (if he did at all), it would be no more than a few words. Half the time when she did something, she found herself nervously wondering if she was violating any house-rules or something and constantly looked to him for approval first.

While she did not mind the lack of attention, she also could not stand not having someone to talk to, and began to formulate a plan. She wanted to know more about her host for she did not wish her situation to be as if she were staying with a perfect stranger. Thinking back to the brief she had received on her host family, she vaguely remembered that it stated Tezuka Kunimitsu was the vice president of the student committee and held the position of captain in a sports team. When she had first read it, she had the mental picture of one of a student who was well liked and constantly surrounded by his peers. The stereotypical jock you saw in movies, good looking, active and popular in the student body, more often than not armed with a personal cheer squad and maybe even with his female counterpart in tow.

_Maybe_, she thought, _he was one of those people who acted different in and out of the public eye. One who kept many things behind his smiles._

But school did start the following week; and Tezuka Kunimitsu defied all her expectations within the first day. He was not only one of the top students at Seishun Gakuen, his serious, stoic façade extended to pretty much everyone, and he was as nerdy as a star pupil could be. He had started studying the few days before school reopened so he would have a headset above the rest. Only two things about her earlier presumed profile of him were accurate. That he did turn heads where ever he went, though it was more of respect than anything, and that he did command the attention was from much of Seigaku's female population. Listen to the gaggle and gossip going around, she was beginning to see what attracted them to him. Despite his serious countenance, he was certainly above average in terms of looks, and while reserved, remained civil and polite when he spoke to his peers and teachers.

"Hi… Jackasa wasn't it?"

Jackasa snapped out of her thoughts at the sound of the gentle sounding male voice. Looking up she found a boy smiling back at her. Tall and thin, he looked more effeminate from most of his counterparts, but she had a strange feeling felt he might be quite a bit stronger than he looked. He had light brown hair bangs which covered his eyes slightly, and possessed a well-toned svelte figure that many girls would die for.

Searching her memory, Jackasa could not seem place where she had seen him before and she smiled sheepishly, bowing her head slightly in apology.

"Yes, that's me! And I'm sorry, you are?"

"I'm Fuji Syuusuke, but just Fuji is fine. I was in your English Lit class on Tuesday. I remembered you were new around here and thought I'd come over and say hi."

"Fuji… Syuusuke… nope, I don't recall… sorry, it's just that I've been bombarded with so many names… I've not really been successful remembering all of them so far..."

"No worries. It's only your first week after all." Fuji smiled. "By the way, you've got an interesting name. It sounds like it came from a fantasy story."

"Actually, it did. So I'm told…"  
"Sa… you mean you have never asked them? I mean, with a name like that I'd be curious…"

"I don't really know my parents actually… it's a long story. I shan't bore you with the details."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Did I say something I shouldn't?" Fuji's looked a little worried.

"No, no, it's fine. Basically I was left at an orphanage with a letter, and that was the name they had given me… it's complicated… like I said, long story."

"It sounds interesting though, you've got me piqued now."

"Perhaps some other time then." She smiled.

"Say," Fuji commented. "The tryouts for the clubs open next week. Anything you're interested in particular? Seigaku's sports are pretty strong, for your information."

"Well, I've had more than enough sporting experience in my old school already. I'm here to concentrate on my studies."

"Ne? But sports are part of the experience here. What sport did you take at JEDA? Oh wait, you're guys do mainly martial arts right."

"Yups. In fact I still have to go back to the main Tokyo school to train twice a week. I seriously wonder if I'll have the time to join another club while I'm here."

"Wow, that sounds pretty hectic. Well then, maybe you could consider a leisurely club, like crafts or something."

"Crafts? Me? I'm not the kind of girl who can sit and knit a sweater for a few hours, but yeah, I may consider joining a more 'leisurely' club as you put it. And which club are you in Fuji?"

If possible, his grin got even wider. "Care to guess?"

"Hm," she pondered for a bit. "Considering you mentioned sports first, I'll say you're in one of the sports clubs."

"Correct, I'm in Tennis actually. Tryouts are next Wednesday if you're interested."

"Cool, but I'm afraid I majorly suck at tennis. I've some friends who play tennis and they'd probably agree!"

"Oh, really, which schools do they go to? Perhaps I have heard of them?"

"Haha, nah, there must be thousands of high-school tennis players."

"Still… I might have…"

"Oh, the teacher's here! We'll continue this later!"

Fuji found himself waved away, and went to take his seat for the upcoming class. Out of the corner of his eye he observed the new girl with the strange name and couldn't help but feel that she had deliberately stopped the conversation. He wondered why, there wasn't anything weird with knowing other high-school tennis players, was there? He shrugged off the thought and grinned to himself as the class stood to greet the Himuro-sensei. This semester looked like it was going to be an interesting one.


	2. Chapter 1

**Life's A Stage**

Chapter 1

"Hey Tezuka, can I ask you something?"

The boy sitting opposite her did not respond, preferring to study his cup of tea instead. _How could a cup of tea possibly be more interesting than talking? _she thought.

"Hey, are you there?" Jackasa leaned forward with a wide-eyed look on her face. She tilted her head and looked at him as him he was not there.

A sharp glare was her response but it was better than nothing. She sat back, smirking.

"I was just wondering... which club are you in?"

"A Sports club."

"Which sport?"

"Tennis." He finally put down the cup. "Why are you asking this?"

"One of my classmates is in the Tennis club too. He invited me to go and have a look at the tryouts next week to see if I'd be interested in joining. Although I doubt so. I have enough on my hands with Mix as it is."

"Hn… Do what you want, as long as you don't disturb me."

"Whatever," she sighed, and then rose from her seat " Oh well, I'm going to my room now, night!"

"Nyah! The English test was hard today, but the passage we had to analyse was fun no?"

Oishi Syuichirou smiled at his doubles partner's oxymoronic comment. "Trust Eiji to take such delight in a passage about the history of cats."

Kikumaru Eiji had the innate ability to make even the gloomiest person laugh. He always wore a big grin on his face and was usually so hyperactive that one wondered if he had eaten more than the required daily intake of sugar. Often those who met him might feel a little uncomfortable with his sudden spurts of energy and sometimes overly outgoing behaviour. _But then_, _after getting used to that part, he somehow makes you see the happy side of things, _Oishi mused_. And I should know._

"Eh? Isn't that Fujiko?" Eiji suddenly commented, breaking Oishi from his musings. "Let's get him to sit with us. Hoi! Fuji! Over here!" he shouted excitedly across the dining hall.

Oishi turned to where his partner was waving and sure enough their fellow team member was standing near the entrance. But he was not alone. He was talking to a girl whom Oishi did not recognise as her back was faced toward him. She had shoulder length dark hair and from the back view, looked just like any other girl in the canteen.

Fuji looked up upon hearing Eiji's voice and turned to wave in their direction, the ever present smile gracing his lips. On the contrary, Fuji was like a calmer version of Eiji. And he too always smiled, though sometimes, Oishi knew, that smile could scare the living daylights out of many when used in certain situations. Fuji Syuusuke, despite his warm and gentle mannerisms, was not one to be taken lightly. Both his grades and tennis skills were excellent, earning him the nickname of Seigaku's tensai, or genius.

As Fuji neared, Oishi noticed the tensai had dragged his rather reluctant looking conversation partner along with him. It was then that he realised that the girl was actually one of the group of foreign students who were in the exchange program for the year. He came to the conclusion because close up; she was taller than the typical wide-eyed petite Japanese girl, like their coach's granddaughter for instance. Also, she was protesting all the way in English, with an accent that sounded either British or American.

"Fuji…" she was saying, a slight stammer to her voice, "why don't you just go ahead? I do not want to disturb you and your friends."

"It's fine Jackasa. You needn't be afraid of them. Oishi, Eiji, I'd like you to meet my classmate Jackasa Corellith, she's an exchange student from JEDA."

"Nyah, JEDA! That's cool!" Eiji exclaimed, standing up excitedly, "I'm Eiji and this is Oishi! We've been friends of Fuji since the start of first year!"

"Nice to meet you." She said hesitantly, and then smiled as if it were an afterthought.

"You too Co… Corellith-san." Oishi blushed "Did I get that right?"

"Yups. No worries. My name is such a mouthful. And I'd prefer if you called me Jackasa. I'm more used to that." She reassured.

"You can sit with us Jackasa. No need to be shy!" Eiji said jovially, still bouncing around. And before she knew it, Jack found herself seated and wedged in between the hyper red haired boy and Fuji.

Eiji continued his cheerful babble. "Nyah, so are you enjoying your stay in Japan?"

"Well," she grinned at Eiji's enthusiasm, gradually feeling more comfortable sitting there, "Japan is a really nice country, and Seishun Gakuen is so different from what I was used to, but I kinda like it here."

"That's good. What about your host family? They must be lucky to have such a sweet girl like you."

She frowned slightly, thinking of what to say about staying in the Tezuka residence, more importantly, her remarks. One never knows if something you say might suddenly be passed onto the entire school! Fuji sensed her uncertainty.

"It is fine Jackasa," he smiled, "what you say shall not be made known to others. Even with Kikumaru here." He added mischievously.

"Oi Fuiji! I may be loud but I can keep a secret! Jackasa, if your host is mistreating you or Fujiko and I'll personally hunt them down!"

"Well, the thing is that I don't know much about my guardians. The parents are away and I'm stuck with their son, this guy who doesn't speak much."

"Eh?" Eiji piped up. "Problem with his English perhaps? But Jackasa-kun's Japanese is not that bad. Even if you're speaking a little slower."

"Aw, thanks Eiji. And no, his English is fine. When I say he doesn't speak much he really does not say much. I think he speaks only when he feels the need to. And while it's nice I'm not distracted by a noisy environment, sometimes the silence can be so frustrating!"

"Maybe he just isn't used to speaking with girls a lot. Some guys are like that." Oishi remarked.

"Well, I see many girls go speak to him! But I notice that he doesn't really talk to anyone at all!"

"Nyah! What a strange guy!" Eiji cut in. "You know, he reminds me of Buchou!"

"Kikumaru refers to our captain." Fuji explained. "He is also a man of few words."

"Hoi! Unless he wants to make us run laps!" Eiji joked.

"Your captain sounds like a drill sergeant."

The three boys shared a private knowing look then burst out laughing.

"Nyah! Inui is evil!"

"Tell me about it. That is one nasty juice!"

"They all are."

"I quite enjoyed this one actually!"

"Fuji!" Came the expected exclamations in unison. The tensai then found a few empty plastic cups being hurled at his direction but dogged them easily, laughing.

"Minna. Stop fooling around." a deep voice commanded, " Get refreshed and play one last set, doubles! Regulars pair Kikumaru, Oishi, Vs. Fuji and myself. Kaidoh and Momoshiro, vs. Karumura and Kaidoh! Go!"

"Hai!"

The game was a furious one. The grouping of Seigaku's famous golden pair against its two top single players was a spectacle that lasted so long that the rest were done long before and had all gathered to watch the spectacular display of coordination, speed, power and skill. Oishi and Eiji were determined not to be beaten even by their own captain and tensai and managed to fight to win the last round, earning them a 5-7 score. It was a good match, despite their loss, as everyone knew it was practically impossible to win against players such as Fuji and Tezuka. It was a great honour to even score a point.

The entire team assembled and coach Ryuuzaki dismissed them. As they made their way to the changing and locker room, Fuji walked away from his fellow teammates unexpectedly and went up to someone in the distance, calling warmly, " Jackasa! You came!"

"Hoi Jackasa!" Eiji recognised Fuji's companion and ran to talk to them. "So did you see the match? What did you think?"

"It was impressive. You guys are really good!" Turning to Fuji she added, "Sorry I was late, I was at this other tryout which happened to be at the same time."

"No need to apologise." Fuji smiled. "So what did you tryout for?"

"Ehm… kendo" she answered almost inaudibly. What Jackasa did not add was that she was that she was not planning on staying in the kendo club. She had enough on her hands at the moment with school work and Mix team practices at JEDA.

"Wah sugoi! Jackasa–san knows martial arts! Are you good?" Eiji exclaimed.

"Ahah… I'm just ok. Lots more to learn. So, are you guys going home now?"

"I'm going to eat with Momo and Ochibi. Want to come?" Eiji asked.

"Who? Never mind. I think I'll pass. I didn't really tell my housemate I'd be out till so late. Better go back and eat dinner. Some other time all right? But thanks for the offer anyway!"

"Hoi…"

"Sa… Jackasa," Fuji interrupted. " Before you go I'd like you to meet someone who's hosting a foreign student too. Maybe you would like to get the details?"

"Really? That's cool. If he doesn't mind. Thanks Fuji!"

"You're welcome. Just wait here and I'll go get him."

"So, Tezuka, how's living with an exchange student?" Oishi enquired as did up the last button of his school uniform.

The tennis captain next to him seemed to stiffen as if the question had caught him off guard and was silent for a moment before answering,

"Tolerable." The reply was hesitant, as if Tezuka was forcing himself to sound neutral.

"Aw, I'm sure she can't be that bad! What happened?"

"Nothing. But she talks too much."

"Well, you talk too little." Oishi countered playfully, earning a glare from his friend. He simply shrugged it off. He was used to Tezuka's mood by now. " You know," he thought out loud, " I met one of the exchange students during lunch, Fuji introduced us and…"

Before he could say anymore, said tensai suddenly appeared between them, startling Oishi a little. Tezuka on the other hand was impassive to this as usual, not letting any hint of surprise show.

"Hey Kuni-kun! Oishi!"

Tezuka cringed a little at Fuji's pet name for him. He swore the guy did it on purpose to test his limits.

"Hey Mitsu, there's someone I want you to meet!"

And with that Fuji practically dragged Tezuka outside before the buchou could even protest. He was not fond of social situations. He felt no need for them. He did well even on his own, and the tennis regulars were more than he could ask for. He saw Eiji, bouncing up and down on the spot as usual, and talking to a girl. Upon nearing, he recognised who it was and wanted nothing more than to turn back. _It was he_r.

"Jackasa!" Fuji called; and she turned to them and upon seeing Tezuka, raised an eyebrow curiously but said nothing. "Jackasa! This is our Bochou, Tezuka Kunimitsu! Kuni-kun, this is my classmate Jackasa Corellith! Mitsu, I was thinking that Jack could meet the exchange student you're hosting so at least she'll have some company in school!"

Tezuka made no effort to reply but fixated an unreadable gaze at her, which was returned.

"Tezuka! Are you listening?" Fuji asked, concerned about the sudden tension between the two.

Unable to take it any longer, Jack broke into a grin and slyly asked, "Kuni-kun eh?"

"Don't even think about it." He said in a dangerously low voice, making Eiji back away a little when he turned his glare toward the him and Fuji.

"Sa… do you know each other?" the tensai started, trying to fathom out what was happening.

Jack finally stopped laughing and ignoring Tezuka's warning glare. "I'm afraid we do. See, I'm Tezuka's housemate."

"Ah, how wonderful!" Fuji grinned at the impassive captain. "Jackasa, should've mentioned you were staying with our dear buchou."

"Well, its kind of complicated but now you know."

"Nyah? Buchou is the housemate you mentioned? The one who doesn't talk? How interesting! How… and I shall keep quiet now!" Eiji trailed off when Tezuka shot him another glare, one that clearly threatened the punishment of running laps if any further questions were to be raised.

"We had best be going back." Tezuka announced after a period of silence, looking at Jack.

"Right…" She rolled her eyes before turning to Fuji and Eiji. "Well, see you around then!"

"Hoi hoi!"

"I said I did not want any distractions."

Jack looked at Tezuka in surprise from the other side of the dining table. He had not spoken at all on the way back.

"You guys won didn't you? So what difference does it make? I saw. You didn't even notice I was there. Anyway Fuji invited me. I was merely stopping by to watch."

Silence greeted her. A response that was a little too familiar for comfort by now. Where Tezuka Kunimitsu was concerned, silence was not gold, but plain awkward.

"Back to the no talking thing again I see." She sighed.

"No, I was just surprised to see you there. That is all."

"I see." She said, sounding a little doubtful of his reply. "Well," she stood, "I'm going to bed now. Goodnight… Kuni-kun" she grinned.

"Goodnight. And don't ever call me that again."

"Fine. Kunimitsu."

"Jackasa…"

"What?" she asked innocently and walked upstairs.

He stared after her retreating back.

_That girl…_

_A/N. Mix is this form of martial arts I made up. It's competitive and to enter you need to know at least two forms of martial arts at advanced levels. The concept of how it works will be made clearer as the story goes along. It's a system created by JEDA in order to strengthen the student's martial arts abilities. To be able to mix 'em, you've to have a strong grounding in the basics. Plus, it makes things a lot more interesting._


	3. Chp 2: & when the music starts

**Life's A Stage**: Chapter 2

& When the Music Starts

_A/N: Terms: Kwan do is a weapon used in wushu. It's a giant jagged looking blade affixed to the end of a long pole. Here is a link _**_http/ to a picture of it. _**

_Nanchakus, most people should know what these are. Think two pieces of cylindrical shaped wood, around eight inches long, like giant breadsticks joined at the ends with a short metal chain. http/ more explanations will be given at the end of the chapter so don't forget to read them if you're confused!_

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It was like watching some bizarre form of dance; their movements were so precise and fluid that one who did not know better would think they were watching a contemporary dance piece, until you noticed the two taking center stage held weapons. One would have done a double take. The combination of weaponry was absurb, Kwan do versus nanchakus.

However, this did not seem to bother the few people watching the match. Neither did it look as if either of the combatants felt strain on their part. It was silent except for their heavy breathing. Sweat soaked through the light material of their exercise outfits but neither seemed really tired, the fire in both their eyes displayed their enthusiasm. Another astounding thing about this spectacle was that neither had lost a point throughout the fight. Every lunge made by the Kwan do player was neatly dodged, almost always at the last instant, as if the other knew exactly when to avoid. Whenever it seemed that the nanchaku wielder had ensnared the Kwan do in the chain, the blade was skillfully twisted away before the Kwan do user could be disarmed.

The Kwan do wielder managed to up his opponent, changing the rhythm of the fight, improvising as he went. When his blade got into the way of the nanchukus again, instead of pulling his weapon away, he maneuvered it so one of the chain's links slid over the lower hook of the Kwan do and was stuck there, and with a swift yank, tore the nanchukus away from the his opponent and flung them so they landed his side of the floor. For a while, they engaged in a strange cat and mouse display as the unarmed combatant now tried to go around him to retrieve the stolen weapon.

The combatant who previously wielded the nunchuks seemed unfazed. Keen brown eyes locked onto hazel ones that were a shade lighter, ears piqued, listening to the sound the Kwan do made as it slashed the air, it's wielder rotating it in a fan like manner, making it impossible to pass. Any attempt to try retrieving the nanchuckus would probably result getting injured. But this particular opponent would not relent.

With a move obviously honed from years of experience, the unarmed fighter did a dived to the floor and quickly rolled away, just missing the blade of the Kwan do as it came back to that same side. Slender fingers reached to grab the weapon when a sudden movement caused her to freeze. The tip of the Kwan do's blade was barely an inch away from her neck. She shot her opponent a glare and was about to make her move when the shrill ring of a whistle pierced the air.

Grabbing herself and the nunchuks off the floor, she gave the referee a pleading look.

" But sensei, you know I could've avoided that!"

" No buts Corellith, those are the rules, though I do not doubt your skill, I also do not doubt you're his." The instructor, a square jawed, stern looking man in his forties waved a hand at the other combatant to emphasize his point. " Now both of you do the civil thing. And all personnel, you are dismissed! Next session will be at the same time!"

" Yes sir!"

" You're improving with those Jackasa." Her opponent commented, eyes flashing briefly to the weapon she had tucked under her arm as they shook hands.

"You still beat me." She shrugged.

" Someone's ego take a beating?" he drawled teasingly as he took off his glasses and wiped them on his shirt.

" Bah, I can afford to lose one match."

" Really now, and just now you weren't almost bargaining your way into a rematch?"

Unable to respond, she simply scowled at him, a faint blush rising in her cheek. She quickly turned away to hide it, but sharp eyes caught her. He gave a short but deep sounding laugh and smirked, causing her scowl to go deeper.

Jack rolled her eyes. " Whatever," she muttered as she walked past him. " I'm going to change out of these clothes. Ta."

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Once back in school attire, Jack grabbed her bags and started walking down the corridor leading to the exit of the center. Her footsteps were brisk and light, making hardly a sound as she went along. A few seconds later, her senses picked up on another presence, followed by footfalls that were not that much louder than her own. As she continued walking at her set pace, the footsteps behind accelerated, and then slowed as the person caught up to her.

Her nose caught the faint whiff of cologne; Burberry's to be exact. She was not in the least bit surprised for she did not expect any less from the one walking next to her.

" Ne Jackasa, what's the rush? Not avoiding me are you? " The voice was neither high nor low, stuck somewhere in between, words spoken in a slow lazy tone, partly teasing.

Without slowing down, she continued walking, " What do you want?"

" Tsk tsk, so suspicious. I'm hurt." He smirked. " Ore-sama just wanted to know if his Imouto would like a lift home."

She paused midstep feeling awkward all of a sudden. " I see," she said softly " well, thanks for the offer but I'm fine." Then she continued, " I guess I'm…"

" Still sore that Yuushi beat you ne?"

She felt her cheeks pinking and cursed inwardly. That was twice in the same day. And within the same hour as well! What was wrong with her?

Her companion saw her reaction and laughed. " Ne, give the guy a break. And don't be so hard on yourself. No one can beat Yuushi ones he's got the Kwando in his hands. You should know that by now too."

" I've beaten him before."

" Yes, when you used your primary weapons. You just picked up the art of nunchakus like what? Less than six months ago? For you to last that long was a feat in itself."

" I guess…"

" Both of you seriously need to stop competing. You guys have been at it for like what? Four years?"

" Not like you can talk. If I recall correctly, you have an obsession with beating a certain someone in tennis. Someone with the initials, T.K."

" Humph. Not fair Jack." He pouted. Then, he stretched and clasped his hands behind his head. A mischievous twinkle in his eye, that familiar smirk on his face that seemed to proclaim " I am the one and only Atobe Keigo, dare you challenge me?"

She watched, entranced. It amused her to no end how easily the Hyoutei tennis captain could change at the drop of a hat. Only certain people were lucky enough to see the more amiable side of him lurking behind the arrogant sneer he always wore. The same went for Yuushi. It was like some Hyoutei thing to constantly have a " I-am-better-and-prettier-than-thou" look stuck on their faces. Looking at it made her think of Tezuka's serious unmoving gaze. In some ways, they were similar. But unlike Keigo and Yuushi, she had never seen so much as a twitch in Tezuka's. She tried to imagine what the stoic captain would look like if he smiled.

" So," the Hyoutei senior's voice drawled, bringing her back from her ponderings. " How is that Tezuka anyway?"

She stopped her attempts at mentally morphing her housemate's expression. It was giving her a headache. " Fine I guess" She shrugged.

" Anything interesting happen?" he asked slyly.

She turned to eye him warily. " No… Tell me, what do you think should happen?"

" Oh I don't know. I mean, you and he are by yourselves, in that big house, though ore-sama's is definitely bigger! Anyway, both of you are not with anyone at the moment, and you know …"

" Atobe Keigo! Get your head out of the gutter! Why must you always assume two people alone equals, well, that!"

" Hey, I was just asking a question. No need to get so defensive. Really now, don't tell me after two months you have not entertained that thought at least once. You've got to admit that stiff as he is, Tezuka Kunimitsu is attractive in his own way. Ne Jackasa?"

Silence.

" Did you not hear me? I said ne…"

" If you're waiting for an 'usu!' I'm so sorry to disappoint you. I'm not Kabaji's stand-in."

" Ne, you're no fun Jack. So I assume by that statement you don't find Tezuka appealing at all? Just answer me and I'll stop bugging you. Anyway, even if you deny it, I can see the truth written on your face."

Her cheeks had heated up for the third time. Why? Why did he have to bring up such topics? Until now, she had never entertained such thoughts while living under the same roof with the Seigaku captain. But Atobe's words and her vivid imagination had come together forming a rather graphic image in her mind that could not seen to disappear.

At a loss for words, she glared at Atobe, who laughed again. When finally managed to find her voice, she managed to get out a hasty " I need to go." And brusquely strode away.

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" Where have you been?"

Jack jumped around in surprise, and let go of the door, which closed with a soft bang that was amplified due to the silence of the house. The voice was accompanied by a faint click and a second later; the entire living room was lighted up. The sudden brightness made Jack cringe and she had to blink a couple of times to adjust to the new lighting. There, standing in the middle of the room was the last person she wanted to encounter at that time, now more so than ever, especially with that deadly glare he was sending her.

"Kunimitsu! Well, Hey!" She said brightly in effort to cool things down. " I just had extra practice that's all. And man, am I beat or what! I think I'm going to sleep now. Nights!"

She started for the stairs when his cool voice made her stop. " Jackasa, please do not take me for a fool. In case you forget, as president of the student council, I know what time extra activities are. The mix club only practices one a week. And all clubs do not go beyond seven pm to keep within school regulations. It is already ten however. This is not the first time you have come home so late. Explain yourself."

She stared at him, stumped, unsure of what to say. She had not lied to him. She had been at practice. It was just that she did not tell me where or what the practice was. Though she was away from JEDA's main campus, it was a requirement that exchange students all had to report to the nearest base branch for training at least one a week. Something, which she obviously could not tell everyone, even her caretakers.

" What's it to you?" she asked.

" Just answer the question."

" I told you I was at prac…"

" Tell me the truth." He snapped suddenly. " Where were you?"

Frustrated as being cut off, she cut back, " I wasn't lying!"

" Stop acting."

" Stop acting? Me stop acting? What are you, my dad or something?"

When he did not reply, she continued, "Ever since I came you seem to have something against me. Your classmates may not bother with that because they respect you enough. Your friends may not mind your attitude because they're nice people. But I, I have to stay with you! Surely as a host you know you're supposed to at least show minimal civilised courtesy! Not treat me as if I was invisible! And anyway, you're the one who's always putting up some cool, untouchable front! So if I'm acting then you are one big drama king!"

Her words came out in a flurried tumble, not stopping until she finally ran out of breath. She stood there, breathing for a while, feeling as if a weight had lifted off her shoulders from the rant. But then, another replaced it just as quickly as she realized what she had just said.

A pregnant silence filled the air; along with an unmistakable tension, as if a bomb had been dropped between them, really to explode any moment. Her cheeks, which had a slight pinkish tinge from the emotion, she felt burnt furiously as guilt overcame her consciousness.

She raised a hand to her mouth in horror, as if trying to push back her vented words. " Oh my… Oh my God! I'm so sorry I got too carried away! I didn't mean that! I'm so…"

" That's enough."

His voice cut into hers, interrupting; sharp as a blade, taking the phrase 'as cold as ice' to a whole new level. He took a step forward and Jack was sorely tempted to take a step back, or run past him and upstairs even, but pride kept her frozen to her spot. The hardest thing to do however was to maintain eye contact. His eyes seemed to gleam behind the lenses of his spectacles, and more intensely then she had ever seen. He was clearly furious.

When he spoke next, she could hear the strain in his voice, as if he were controlling himself from shouting.

" Don't go around presuming such things about people when you don't know anything about them." he growled, gaze unwavering.

" Then why don't you tell me the truth? Why are you always so uptight?"

" Must you pry into my personal life? Don't you have nothing better to do?"

Anger coming back, she countered his stare with one of her own. " Pry? I'm just trying to get to know my housemate better! Its something called bonding, something you obviously have no clue about…"

She stopped abruptly, as if she realized the meaning of her words and gasped. She blushed and tore her gaze away, looking at the ground, " Oh my, I did it again! I'm sorry!" she exclaimed, a slight tremble in her voice.

Then, she made a noise that sounded suspiciously like a choked sob and ran upstairs. Seconds later, he heard a door slam shut. Tezuka stood rooted to his spot, staring after the fleeing girl in silence until she was out of sight, trying to comprehend what had just taken place.

A minute or so later, he too retired to bed. That night, something odd happened. Tezuka could not sleep.

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_A/N: Ne, sorry if this chapter is confusing. Especially the part with Atobe. All I can say is that you'll understand more as the story progresses, it's still the beginning after all. Another thing Atobe is not related to Jack in case you were wondering, although he calls her Imouto (little sister), its more a nickname to annoy her. It has something to do with an incident that happened in the past and Atobe kind of looked after Jack for a while. I shan't say why as it will spoil the story and the mystery element but I promise the explanation will be in the later chapters. _

_Another thing. I know Tezuka sound really cold and a bit OOC in this first part but I have a certain interpretation of him and he will improve from the next chapter onwards. You'll see… so stay tuned!_


	4. Chp 3: & when the music starts part 2

**Life's A Stage**

Chapter 3: & When the Music Starts (part 2)

A week or so after that confrontation between the housemates had passed, there came a day when Tezuka came home late from practice. He and the rest of the team had stayed on for an extra game. Rather it was Momo and Kaidoh who decided to challenge each other. The rest merely stayed to watch. The two had an ongoing competitive spat with each other since first year. In the end, to both their frustrations, they actually tied, highly amusing everyone else.

" Momo Sempai, why not just admit you and Kaidoh sempai are the same?" Ryoma Echizen smirked from under his cap.

" What! Admit defeat to that viper? No way! I was just tired today that's all! I could beat that snake anyday!"

" Fsh… what did you say idiot? Just admit I am stronger!"

" No way! And did you call me an idiot? Asking for a fight?"

" Fsh…! Are you!"

" Break it up or 20 laps for both of you!"

" Nyah! Tezuka! Give them a break."

The tennis captain fixated his acrobatics player with a glare that made the red haired flinch and pretend to strike up a conversation with Fuji.

" Che, buchou should learn to loosen up." Ryoma commented, looking at Tezuka with a challenging gleam in his eye.

Before Tezuka could say something back at the young tennis prodigy, the fourth year suddenly switched the subject, smirking even wider.

" Ne Buchou, where's your girl friend today?"

The rest practically tensed up at that question. Teasing Tezuka was not something a sane person who valued their life would want to do, let alone make such a blunt comment. However, Echizen Ryoma was not exactly what one would call a sane person. When it failed to illicit an answer from Tezuka, Ryoma only persisted to everyone's dismay.

" Buchou didn't answer my question."

Tezuka glared levelly at the younger boy, who as always, refused to back down to any challenge thrown at him, simply stared back uncaringly.

" Ne Kuni-kun, Echizen is right. I haven't seen her today. Is she alright?" Fuji asked innocently, breaking the air of tension.

And Eiji, who did not know any better as usual, decided to pitch in " Hoi, she seems quite distracted recently. As if she's having some problems. I wonder what happened. Maybe someone said something to hurt her… if that's the case I'll go after the baka for upsetting such a nice girl like Jack nyah!"

In the silence that ensued, the captain turned his glare to the tensai, but gave up, as he knew it was pretty much useless to enter a verbal and staring match with both Ryoma and Fuji.

" Whatever, well, I do not know where she is." He said pointedly. " She said she has something on after school."

" So desu. See you buchou." Said Ryoma, satisfied with the outcome and walked off.

Fuji grinned upon realizing the others had gone, or rather, crept away to avoid getting into crossfire between the three of them. He and Tezuka walked for a while in silence before he said softly,

" You know, denial is not the best solution to things."

No response.

" It is in fact rather bad for one's health, let alone mental state. You know, I once knew someone…"

" Stop. Fuji. No one's in denial. I have no idea what you are talking about."

They reached the section where they would go in different directions.

" So desu. Good night Kunimitsu."

" Be careful."

" Tezuka…"

It made the tennis captain look at him, it was rare Fuji called him by that.

" You didn't deny."

" Didn't deny what?"

Fuji, whose eyes were opened for that instant, closed and the smile was back on his face.

" Nothing!" he exclaimed casually. " Just thinking about something Echizen said. I better go now! Ja ne!"

He left Tezuka gazing after him.

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He reached home to find that she was already in her room, door shut. _Probably studying_. He chose not to disturb her, opting for a shower instead before going to prepare dinner. With noisy rush of water, he heard neither the click of the door to her room being open, nor the soft creaking of steps across the floorboards. Steps that stopped at the doorway to his room; a voice calling his name in question, followed by the light pattering of footfalls down the parquet staircase.

The water streamed over him, bringing a refreshing feel to both his body and mind. Closing his eyes as it cascades over him, he could not help but turn his thoughts back to that strange scenario. _Why should I think of that? I was being my normal self_, he affirmed mentally. He was always like that and so far no one had ever objected to it. And girls sometimes had those unnatural monthly mood swings. Perhaps that was it. She might just be having a particularly bad case of those. _Or not. _

The expression in those brown eyes from earlier suddenly engulfed his mind. She had been annoyed yes, but there was something else he could not fathom, something…

Deeper. Her words echoed in his head.

" … _you seem to have something against me!"_

Did he? He was not used to staying with another of his age before. His parents were strict, conservative. But they were good parents, never wanting more than the best for their only son. They taught him to respect others. _Don't judge a book by its cover_ his grandfather had told him.

" _You do not know me!"_

" _Neither do you!"_

Had he been too quick to judge her? He never held grudges, nor did he let his inner emotions show. He came to forgive those who had hurt him, even that jealous senior who caused his disability. _Stand up for yourself. Don't give in. Never show your weakness. _Phrases spinning through his head. Did he have any reason to dislike her? No. Did she have a reason to dislike him?

"Your classmates… respect you enough. But I, I have to stay with you! Surely as a host…" 

Deeper.

His mother's parting words. That letter she left for him.

" … _Tezuka, I trust you'll make her feel welcome. It is not easy to adjust to a whole new environment…"_

Her parting words.

"… _as a host you know you're supposed to at least show minimal civilised courtesy!"_

His eyes suddenly flew open and he slammed his palm against the wall.

A single harshly whispered word fell from his lips…

" Baka."

_Hurt._

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Once at home, Tezuka made his way to the kitchen, groaning as he checked the time. Dinner was going to be late that day. _I hope she doesn't mind, especially after all that._ He had spent longer in the shower then usual. He was about to open the fridge for some ideas when he saw a note attached to the door.

" _Tezuka/ Kunimitsu, _

_I made something to eat while you were in the shower. It's on the stove. Heat it up it you want to. Don't wait for me. I'll eat later. Not really hungry cause I had a heavy lunch._

_Jack"_

Sure enough when he looked there was a pot of beef udon on the stove. It smelt rather good too. He wondered how she managed to cook that fast, and how she knew to cook something Japanese at that. His stomach gave a soft telltale rumble that he was hungry. He had forsaken his own lunch for a trip to the library and lost track of the time while doing his research.

_It is nice of her._

And it made him feel all the guiltier for ignoring her, much less having lost his temper on various occasions. Looking once more at the note, his mouth turned upward into a small smile at her use of his full name. _She will not relent_, he realised. _Accept it already_. It was just that he had aspired to be like his father and grandfather for so long, even insisting to use that name since young. Only a handful of people called him Kunimitsu. And they were the few people that were close to him, yet he still insisted for them to call him Tezuka. A little adjustment would do no harm. With a resigned sigh, he left the kitchen.

He stood outside the for a good ten minutes, his hand repeatedly raised to knock, then dropping back down to his side. _Don't be such a sissy_, he chided mentally. _Just get it over and done with. As captain and student president you have had to deal with a lot worse than dealing a simple apology. Plus you can't be spending an entire year walking on a bed of knifepoints every time you see her._

Taking a deep breadth to steel himself and rapped lightly before pushing the door further open.

" Jackasa…"

She was busy doing something at her desk. The silence and tension hit him like slamming into a brick wall. _Did she even hear me?_ Maybe he should come back later. He turned to leave.

" You rang?" She enquired sarcastically, not looking up from her work.

" Jackasa, I…"

The words; so few yet, so hard.

" Look, if it's about what happened earlier forget about it. I was… ranting out of line. I should not have. You're kind enough to prepare meals and walk me to and from school, let alone house me. I should be the one apologising… what!"

He had reached her in a few quick strides, gripped the back of her chair and spun it round so she was facing the opposite direction, and him.

" Before you say anything. You had the right to say that. I apologise. I have not been a good host."

A pregnant silence hung between them. She stared blankly at his chest, not wanting to face him as she perused that statement, and the situation they were in. He found himself holding his breath, unusual, as he rarely got tense, even during matches.

She then spoke so softly he almost did not catch it.

" I'm not mad at you."

" What?"

" I said, I'm not angry with you. I was never angry, just annoyed." She faced him, smiling softly to his great relief.

" You…"

" I think", she announced, a mischievous glint to her eye, " we should start over… again." She suddenly stood, making him step back a little, and extended a hand. He suddenly took in the way her smile lit her entire face, right up to her eyes, which were full of sincerity.

For the first time in a long time, Tezuka Kunimitsu broke out of his stoic mask and smiled, though it was barely noticeable, more like a brief twitch at the corner of his mouth. He took her hand and bowed slightly, eyes never leaving hers.

" Again."

The mask was back on an instant later and he made for the door.

" Dinner is waiting."

She beamed and followed him out, a single thought in her mind.

_To again._

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	5. Chp 4: & when the music starts part 3

** Life's A Stage**:  
Chapter 4: & When the music starts: Part 3  


" Fifteen laps round the courts now!"

" Hai!" came the instant response and everyone scrambled to the track. If there were one thing the members of the tennis club learned, it was to never cross their buchou, even if he insisted they run a hundred laps. And he had made certain individuals of the club do that before.

" One more thing."

Everyone stopped and turned to their captain.

" Anyone who fails to make a round by fifty seconds shall have to face the consequences. I believe you all know what that it."

From his position beside Tezuka, Inui Sadahara whipped out a plastic jug, causing some of the contents to slosh over the brim. Everyone stared at the concoction, which was a shade lighter than the redness of cranberry juice. The mixture was bubbly, almost like a fizzy drink, and had a ring of froth on its surface. What was most disconcerting about the whole picture was that the bearer of the jug, Inui, was smirking in a way serial killers looked when they were cornering their victims. Sunlight glinted off his own spectacles, making him a picture of pure evil- one which they were all too familiar with. A terrifying silence followed, as well as the sound of some people gulping loudly.

Inui's grinned broadened and with the air of a mad scientist revealing his creation, announced,

" Inui's latest juice. Hopefully this will be my final version. It combines the ingredients to energise and invigorate, as well as increase stamina and reduces water loss. Fine for replenishing after strenuous activity as well as before." He turned to the coach, " Would sensei like to try some?"

The older woman's eyes widened slightly at the cup of foaming liquid presented to her and waved it away, declining as politely as she could. Then she realised everyone was still looking at her, some even smirking, as if to say " hah! Coach can't take it either!"

Her sudden bark startled them.

" What are you standing there for! Do you want a drink?"

Nothing else needed to be said. Everyone had tasted enough of Inui's concoctions more than enough times to not want that experience repeated on them, and with a sudden spurt of energy, they ran as fast as their legs could carry them.

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" Nya…" Eiji groaned. " Anything Inui makes should be illegal."

Everyone around him chorused weakly in agreement. While the entire team had come in within the time allotted, their relief had been short lived when Inui had announced that since they all had made it to the finish line at the same time, it meant that not only were they the first but the last as well, seeing that the non regulars had dropped out one by one, succumbed by fatigue, the last of them lasting only till the Eighteenth round, which given the timing was a feat in itself.

Therefore, everyone had to drink Inui's latest creation. The gleam in his eyes was all too evident as he doled out their poison, much to their dismay.

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And that was how Jack found all of them, sprawled carelessly on the ground in various stages of agony. Ryoma and Momo were at the outdoor sinks, taps turned to the fullest and doing their best to wash the vile taste away. Oishi looked a sickly shade of green, Kawamura and Kaidoh on the floor blinking dazedly; even Eiji did not jump up to greet her as usual as she walked to the group. The non-regulars looked just as badly affected from whatever it was that had caused nearly everyone to be in this state. Nearly being the word here as only the coach, Inui, Fuji and Tezuka seemed unaffected, standing by themselves talking softly. No one noticed her approach until she raised her voice in concerned,

" What on earth happened here!"

The four turned instantaneously. It was Fuji who responded, smiling as usual as if the ground was not littered with whimpering bodies that made up most of the tennis club.

" Jackasa!" He greeted cheerfully, " don't mind them, they're just overreacting to Inui's juice that's all."

" Fuji!" Kikumaru groaned, staggering weakly up to them. One by one, everyone was slowly picking themselves up from the ground. " Only you would say that nyah! That juice is horrible! What do you put in it Inui?"

" This and that." The data collector shrugged nonchalantly.

" You mean Inui is responsible for this?" Jack gestured to the groaning boys in general, accenting on the "this." She turned to Fuji, confused, " But how?"

" Well you see Jackasa, Inui has been creating various mixtures to enhance our health and stamina. Though I can't see how the others find it so bad. It is quite tasty actually."

" Fuji!" everyone cried, glaring daggers at the tensai.

" I see," Jack muttered, looking thoughtful, " So what's in this … this juice?"

" Inui's special is a secret." Inui stated firmly. " Unless of course, someone can guess what is in it themselves. Fuji here has been trying to figure it out for sometime now."

" Hai, I wouldn't mind uncovering the recipe, then I could make some instead of always depending on Inui."

The response from the others came immediately in unison, a cacophony of voices.

" What!"

" Fuji-sempai, surely you aren't serious you want to make that, that thing!"

" I knew you were crazy Fuji, but this just makes you completely insane!"

" Everyone! Silence!" Ryuuzaki roared, causing the chatter to cease automatically, everyone looked at her with utmost attention. " Enough is enough. You have wasted even practice time already. Non-members go and continue practicing your basics; I shall go round and supervise soon. Regulars, go and pair for doubles, now!"

" Yes sensei!" Everyone scrambled to their ordered positions.

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Jack watched the practice from outside the courts, her gaze fixated on a certain jug of bubbling red liquid. She had to admit that her curiosity had been piqued. _Was it really that bad?_

" Jackasa-sempai! You're here! Ohaio!"

" Jacakasa sempai… ano…"

She turned at the voices, one vibrant and chirpy, the other, softer and slightly nervous.

" Tomoko, Sakuno." She greeted the two fourth years politely, briefly, before she turned her gaze back to the courts to watch the practice. " Those guys are really something aren't they?" She observed.

" Hai!" Tomoko agreed enthusiastically, " Everyone is so powerful and fast! And they've improved so much! Especially Ryoma-kun! Ryoma! Go go!" she called loudly.

If the tennis prodigy heard, he made no inclination whatsoever that he had even noticed, focusing all of his concentration on his opponents.

Jack dimmed her attention from the exuberant younger girl's incessant chatter and occasional cries of support. Tomoko was the self-proclaimed president of Ryoma's unofficial fan club in Seigaku, not embarrassed at all by her obvious adoration for the boy. Sakuno, her best friend and a lot quieter in comparison, stood silently by her as they watched the match. Jack studied the girl in her mind. She did not know them that well, aside from the fact that Sakuno was the tennis coach's granddaughter and that she hardly spoke even when spoken to. The girl harbored a shy schoolgirl crush for Ryoma since the day they had met. Even now though she and Ryoma were unofficially together, the feeling had not gone away. Sakuno's eyes sparkled with dreamy adoration as she watched him play against Kaidoh.

She proceeded to scan the court, finally falling to rest on Tezuka, who was playing a rather intense match by himself against the Golden Pair. Determination gleaned off both sides of the court, neither side giving way to the other, not wanting to be defeated. In the end, they managed to score a fair 5-6 to the buchou, the pair high fived each other, satisfied of the outcome despite their loss.

" Tezuka buchou is so strong!" Tomoko was gushing. " Even Oishi-sempai and Kikumaru sempai can't beat him! It's too bad he's so serious though. I wonder," she rattled, " is he like that all the time? Surely not! Oh wait, Jackasa, you stay with him don't you? How lucky! That is a position most girls would die to be in, especially the fan club! Say, Jackasa-san, so what is buchou really like? Jackasa-san… eh? Where did she go?" The older girl had disappeared. " Sakuno! Where's Jackasa?" she asked her friend, who had gone silent, eyes wide and fixed on something, or someone in the court.

" Ano… Tomoko!" Sakuno stammered, pointing a trembling hand at where she stared.

" Eh? What's wrong Sakuno?" she wondered, turning in that direction, she yelped in fright when she saw the said senior on the other side of the fence.

" Shhh!" Jack whispered.

" Jackasa-san, what are you doing there? Only members can go in during training time. And what are you doing? Isn't that Inui-sempai's drink?"

" Why, yes," she muttered back despondently, grabbing an unused plastic cup from the table.

" Jackasa-san, don't tell me you're going to drink that…" Tomoko said, suddenly nervous.

" And why not?" the older girl asked, pouring some of the mixture into the cup till it was about half full.

" Because… well, you saw what it did to everyone! And they're guys too! What makes you think you can drink that without collapsing?"

" Well, I guess we won't know until we try will we? Want some?"

" Ano! No way! You go drink it if you want, but don't blame me for not warning you." Tomoko crossed her arms.

" Whatever you will," Jack swirled the contents around, slightly hesitant, " Always know what you're drinking first." She muttered under her breath, recalling her instructor's words. She inhaled. The smell was very spicy, as if there were cinnamon in it. But upon taking another whiff, she realised it held the acidic sting of vinegar.

" Sempai…"

It took a moment to realise it was one of those rare moments when Sakuno spoke. " You aren't really going to… especially after all the other sempais…" the petite girl stuttered.

" No worries!" she smiled lightly, tilting the cup back and making a show of dipping her tongue in so a few droplets gathered on the surface. She started to grimace against the strong taste but decided against it. " See?" she reassured, " You don't see me dead yet no? "

And to the two fourth year's horrors, they watched as she downed the rest of its contents.

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The team was stretching to cool down, having completed their matches. Suddenly, a shriek from the other end of the court filled the air, causing most of them to jump and their ears to ring.

" Jackasa-sempai! Don't be stupid! Yadaaa!"

Everyone turned to the source of disturbance just in time to see the exchange student drinking something from a cup.

That something which also happened to be a cup of foaming red mixture.

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Jack had just intended to drink a little of Inui's concoction, but Tomoka's shriek had caused her hand to jerk and she found herself swallowing an entire mouthful. The spicy feeling one got when eating Tabasco sauce by itself overwhelmed her taste buds. It was not that terrible actually, aside from feeling like she was on fire. That was until another flavour took over as the after taste started to spread; it was ginger. No matter how many Asian cooks insisted on said root being the key ingredient to cooking, Jack disliked it in any form and quatatity. And something that was clearly ginger extract, mixed with the Tabasco like ingredient was nonetheless revolting.

It made her redefine a whole new meaning for the phase "grin and bear with it"

" Don't worry, I'm fine…" she smiled weakly, trying to soothe Eiji and the rest of the team who were looking at her with concern.

_Or am I trying to convince myself?_ Currently, the juice was starting to have really strange effects on her. Everyone's faces and outlines were becoming blurrier by the second and somehow looking at the acrobatics player jump up and down in worry gave her a severe headache; so did the voices of everyone else, sounds blending into each other, creating a distorted jumble of noise which echoed painfully in her head.

She closed her eyes for a second, hoping to rid her mind from the chaos. But when she opened them, it was even worse. Now she saw black spots dotting her vision every time she blinked. Not to mention she was starting to feel giddy as well.

" Nyah! Jackasa! Are you okay?" Eiji exclaimed still restlessly moving.

Jack managed to stumble out a reply though she could not hear what she said. Through the blend of voices, she heard a voice ordering everyone to go back and continue with the practice, but in her current state of mind, she could not place a name to it. Then she heard someone say her name. She knew whoever it was; the person was standing really close as it resonated in her head painfully.

Everything was merging and blending, spinning around her. She gripped the table for support as black dots blocked her sight.

Then, everything suddenly stopped.

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_This silence is bliss… and it feels so nice and comfy_, Jack thought, as she rolled over, _I wish I could lie in bed all day. And man this headache is killing me!_

_Then_, it struck her. _Bed? What the- what am I doing in bed in the first place!_

She sat up in a hurry, causing something in her back to crack.

" Ow… damnit." She grumbled, rubbing that area.

" I suggest that for the meanwhile you should refrain from moving so quickly."

She blinked at the voice and turned to find a certain stoic buchou standing at her door. In his hands was a cup. He looked none too pleased, a small frown crossed his face.

" Dare I ask what happened?"

" You fainted. Ryuuzaki sensei drove us back after practice."

" Oh." She said meekly, making a mental note to thank the tennis coach next time. Inwardly, she felt humiliated for having caused such a scene. A blush crept up her cheeks. " I'm sorry if I ruined your practice."

" It's already over. We were finishing anyway. Here, drink this." He held out the cup to her.

She looked warily at the cup, arching an eyebrow, " That's not some kind of herbal tea is it? 'Cuz I don't like those…"

" No, it' s Inui Juice version 10.2." he said very solemnly.

Jack looked at him in horror and backed further into the bed. " What! No way am I drinking that stuff again, like tell Inui it was nice of him to offer some but I can't possibly go through that again. It was..."

" Jackasa, it just water." He said.

" Fine," she took the cup and sniffed at the contents. When she found it to be odourless, she took a sip and once verifying it was really water and not a strange remedy, she drank the rest of it to rid her mouth of the slight aftertaste of juice that was still there.

Tezuka watched her actions silently, but then he made a strange muffled sound but quickly masked it by clearing her throat. It took Jack a moment or two to realize that that was the first time she had heard her housemate make any sound that resembled laughing.

" Oh my. Did, did you just make a joke?"

" I don't know what you're talking about."

Trying to be serious was currently not working for Tezuka. The corners of his mouth twitched upwards slightly.

It only caused her to burst into laughter. " Oh my god! You did just make a joke! Are pigs flying? I must go look!"

She moved to stand up and though her legs felt like dead weights, she willed herself to try and take a few steps- only to her them crumble under her. She closed her eyes and braced herself for impact with the floor, but thankfully it never came. A pair of arms wrapped around her, propping her to a standing position.

Feeling lightheaded, she leaned back into her support and laughed bitterly. " Gosh I'm such a spaz. First I made a fool of myself by thinking I could drink Inui's juice without reacting to it, only to collapse and disrupt your practice. And now I almost went and fell on my face. You must think I'm the world's greatest fool or something. Put me in the fool's corner with a giant clown hat."

" Why would I think that?"

" Because I court trouble everywhere I go."

" No you don't. That's Echizen's thing."

" Did you just make another joke?"

" Maybe."

She grinned and turned to face him. " You know," she poked his chest. " You're pretty normal after all."

His features softened, and for the first time in a long time, his allowed a smile to grace his lips.

" What is normal?"

His grip on around her tightened and time seemed to drag at an unbearably slow pace as his gold hazel gaze seemed to filled her vision, then, he suddenly pulled away, his face reverting back to it's normal unwavering expression.

" I have to go."

Turning quickly, he left the room. Jack was frozen to her spot for a while before taking a few steps backwards and sat down on her bed, releasing the breath had been holding. _What had just happened there?_

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	6. Chp 5: we open up our hearts

Life's A Stage Chapter 5: We open up our hearts 

In a blink of the eye, Jackasa passed her first term at Seishun Gakuen. She was settling in fast, and better than most exchange pupils would, academically wise making it to the top ten percent within those first few months. Of course the Worldwide English Language Act, which had been officiated by the United Nations four years before, aided greatly in helping her blend in. The agreement declared that every educational institution was required to teach English in both middle and high school. This was imposed so that people could communicate more smoothly with one other, especially in meetings of foreign political affairs without having to consistently depend on translators. Plus there had been some big hubbub involving a translator of parliament who had leaked certain bits of information to less then worthy subjects. The case had been splashed all over the front page news round the globe and further investigation found out that he actually sold information to various underground groups consisting of neo-Nazis to Iraqi terrorists. After a couple of later scares, the act had been swiftly and firmly implemented, no one daring to object.

However, while foreign students like Jack had a lot to thank for in that imposition, it was not to say that she would have been at a total loss without it. Jack was a fast learner and hard worker when needed to be. She was usually rather quiet and serious in class, but once a debate started on something she felt strongly for or against, the girl would suddenly spring to life, a certain spark to her eye, daring anyone to challenge her theories, which more often that not, made perfect sense once she explained them, no matter how radical the idea sounded at first. And like any other student, she had her problem spots. She did not bode well with the compulsory math and science subjects. Even so, she somehow managed to maintain satisfactory even pass marks in these areas so the teachers could not really complain.

Socially, she spent most of the time with the tennis regulars as they were the group see saw the most frequently. Her other peers would interact with her but remained at the "just schoolmates" status. It probably had something to do with her being a newbie and foreigner at that, not to mention that her timing was a little late. Most of the seniors had established their own cliques by then and were hesitant to let someone so different into their circle. Strangely, while her own classmates were slightly alienating, Jack found friends with some of the lower grade students, as being in the list of better scorers meant she had to tutor freshmen in their problem areas as well. And after initial awkwardness, a few of them approached her for help in English and related subjects. She was a patient teacher and occasionally tested her barely passable Japanese language skills on her mentees, often resulting in much laughter around. One thing about Jack was that she was willing to learn and laugh at her mistakes, which helped greatly to relax the mood of her juniors.

Also, Jackasa's position in the 'mix' club just drew more attention to her. The club was small, only consisting of less then twenty pupils; a prerequisite was to known a minimum of two forms of martial arts at an advanced level. You had to compete with the regulars in different areas to qualify which was not easy. Not much was known about 'mix' but it was supposed to have many complicated rules. Their trainings were also kept quite hush-hush, not allowing any observers except in competitions with other schools. It often took hopefuls a few attempts to be eligible to even join as an ordinary member. Jack had qualified in the first round. Some people even started to compare her which Fuji, who was also skilled academically and physically.

When asked how he felt about this, Seigaku's resident tensai simply grinned wider and replied brightly "Sa… This is so exciting isn't it, Oishi? I can't wait to see what happens." he had announced brightly while somehow managing a sadistic looking grin, piercing blue eyes open, scaring away those in his general vicinity, except the tennis fukubuchou, who shook his head and sighed, " Fuji, you're just… incomprehensible."

Aside from all this, life was pretty much normal. What nobody would have thought at that time however, was how true Fuji's words would turn out. The year had after all, just begun.

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" Hey Jackasa, so what's it like staying with Tezuka?"

" What does he do at home?"

" What does he like to eat? Can he cook?"

Jackasa could only sit and blink at the bevy of female students that hovered round her desk, inwardly groaning. This was becoming a frequent occurrence ever since word was out that she had been assigned as the Tezuka family's exchange ward during her stay. It started with one or two random girls shyly approaching her. Then the 'fan girls' became bolder and now she found herself hounded bombarded with all sorts of questions on the mystery that was Seigaku's current student president, coming to her before class would start.

She would often try to deflate their interests by giving the same responses like, " oh, he doesn't too much aside from studying." Not that it was a wrong answer to give for Tezuka's life did pretty much revolve around school and tennis. Sometimes she even gave the excuse that she had to read for the next class and was therefore too busy to talk.

Unfortunately for her, none of the twittering girls ever took the hint.

" Is he as stiff and cold as he is in school?"

" Don't say that Misato! Tezuka-kun is not stiff, he just needs the right person to warm him up!"

" And I supposed you think you're the one Shota?" Giggles erupted as said girl's face went very red.

She stammered, " That's not what I meant!"

At times like these, Jack wished that she could just give them a single death glare, ala Tezuka and have them scatter away. It was becoming very annoying and exasperating. Did they have stand around her and twitter so?

" Well well, what _do_ we have here?" A frosty voice silenced the giggling group almost immediately, and while Jack was thankful for the save, she also wanted slump further into her seat. If there was an interrogation on the subject labeled Tezuka Kunimitsu, the fangirls were the inquisitors, then this newcomer would be their chief.

" Sai… Saikoubi!" Shota gulped nervously. " What are you doing here?"

The ice queen of Seishun Gakuen arched a finely plucked eyebrow. " I just happened to be passing by and could not help but overhear." She gave a smirk that Jack thought could easily rival Yuushi's and proceeded to make herself comfortable on a vacant chair. " I mean, you girls can't be having a conversation about Kuni-kun without me right?"

Saikoubi Sato, cheerleading captain of Seishun Gakuen. Sleek blonde hair that cascade down to her waist, frosty blue eyes that said, "don't mess with me," along with a well-toned body, she was the sort to turn heads wherever she went. She embodied the stereotypical popular cheerleader role and much more. For Saikoubi was no airhead. She maintained a decent average, was cool, calculative and even had an icy temperament to match. She was the resident ice-queen of Seigaku.

" N…no! Not at all!" Shota stuttered.

" Perfect!" Saikoubi said enthusiastically although the smile she gave looked suspicious. " Well, let's not stop! What were you saying about Kuni- kun again?"

" Ehm, nothing much! We were just asking Jackasa Tezuka does at home!"

" Tsk tsk," the blonde used a hand to comb back some imaginary stray strands of hair, " Don't you see you're disturbing the poor girl from her work? She clearly knows nothing. If you wanted to know such things then why didn't you girls come and ask me? After all, I do have firsthand experience." She drawled, accenting on the last word.

Everyone went quiet for a moment, not knowing what to say. It was rumored that Saikoubi and Tezuka had some sort of a history together that went back to the final year of junior high. Apparently both their fathers were business associates and knew each other. One holiday, the two men brought their families to stay at a resort while at a meeting and they had met. No one really knew what really ensued during that time but from the way Saikoubi talked, it was as if something did happen. Also, when senior high started the girl had more or less latched herself onto Tezuka, who did not seem to care less, allowing her to follow him around, which of course had stunned everyone. These rumours could never really be verified however, as no one really dared to question either or them. Those who even tried were sent away cowering in fright from the tennis buchou's glare. It was also rather useless asking the friends of the two as vague uncertain answers would be the only response.

That moment of silence did not last long as one of the girls voiced out " Oh yes, why didn't we think of that! We should have asked you in the first place!"

" Yes, so what is he like?"

" Tell us please!"

Saikoubi flipped her hair back, a haughty smirk on her face. " Well, Kuni-kun is very serious in private too… isn't he Corellith?"

"I guess…" Jack replied despondently. She desperately wanted a way out of this gossip spree. Lunchtime was barely half over. _And why don't you just take this twittering bunch back to your own class and leave me alone!_

" Oh do show more enthusiasm Corellith. Surely you don't want to disappoint everyone. At least share something no one else knows, you do live with him after all."

" Yes yes do!" came the excited chorus.

_Why is it turning back to me again? What do they want to know anyway? … he really hardly does much aside from going to school, practice, home, study and sleep. It is not as if he has some guilty pleasure or something. Well, if he did then he does a damn good job of hiding it._

She struggled to come up with a reply " Well, I … he…"

" Jackasa! There you are!"

" Fuji… hey…" she was a little taken aback by the tensai's exuberant greeting. " May I help you?"

" Why yes, actually I was wondering if you could show me where the book on Norse mythology you returned yesterday is. I went to borrow it just now but I forgot the title!"

Jack was very confused. She had not borrowed anything from the library. " Book on Norse mythology? What…" she began, then saw the knowing sparkle in his eye, " Oh, _that_ book! Sorry, I forgot all about it for a moment there!"

" Yes, _that _book. I was wondering since we're both having a free period, if you could show me where it is."

She stood, refraining from the urge to make a dash for it. " Sure! Let's go then, in case someone else borrows it." She turned to the group of girls. " Excuse me, I have to go now. Happy chatting!" And she was off.

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Tennis practice was over. Tezuka was the last to leave as usual. As captain, he had the responsibility to check that everything was in its right place before locking the door to the clubhouse. He was just walking out of the school gate when someone called his name from behind, startling him. Fortunately, years of practice had him regaining his composure and he barely turned to acknowledge the other person once he recognised it was.

" Fuji… why are you still here?"

" Sa, Tezuka… ever suspicious of people. Is it a crime when a friend wants to walk back with you?"

" Hn…"

Clearly ignoring the buchou's mood, Fuji beamed. " Perfect!" and latched himself to Tezuka's side.

They walked for a while, taking in the silence of the night till Fuji spoke.

" Sa… Kuni-kun, I was just wondering… how come Jackasa hasn't been meeting you after practices nowadays? I thought you arranged to walk home together."

" We decided that her waiting for me just delayed her time. It's not like she doesn't know the way back at this point." While most people would accept this for an answer, Fuji, having known Tezuka as well and as long as he did, noticed that it came out faster than normal. There was something more to that and he would find out what it was before they parted ways.

Now, how would he get around to extracting that information? Ideas formed in his head. When he thought back and hit a particular event, he smiled mischievously, thankful that it was dark so Tezuka could not see he expression.

" Sa… you know what's funny?" he asked as if making a casual joke, " it looks like your hiding her from Inui, cause she hasn't been meeting you since that incident with the juice happened."

That hit precisely on the mark. After all, Fuji Syuusuke was not called a tensai for nothing. Tezuka paused mid stride as if found out, then proceeded as if nothing had happened. Though it was quick, it did not escape Fuji's sight.

His smile became even wider. " So you are hiding her from Inui!"

" I never said that. You did. Believe what you want. I already told you the reason."

" Yes you did Mitsu, but your body language betrays you. Sa…I didn't know you were so protective over her Mitsu. Why the sudden change?"

" Stop talking nonsense. Nothing has changed. I'm just looking out for her. She is under my family's care after all."

" Oh really? And so asking her to walk home by herself is 'looking out'. I see. So you're really not in denial at all?"

The day had been stressful in general and together with the time it ended, had made Tezuka a little impatient. He replied with abnormal curtness in his voice " Denial of what? Fuji, get whatever idea it is you have out of your head. If you have nothing useful to say then don't say anything. "

There was no reply this time and relieved, Tezuka continued walking, only to realise a few seconds later that his friend was no longer walking beside him and he stopped to turn around. Fuji was standing very still, his tennis bag slung over his shoulder, his brilliant blue eyes wide open and looking at Tezuka with a gaze that would make any other person shiver.

" Tezuka… you should know by now that I don't say things I do not mean."

The tennis captain found himself unable to move as Fuji walked up to him, never relenting his eye contact. The tensai stopped so close to him that when he spoke, it was as if he spoke from within his head.

" Face it Kunimitsu, you're betraying yourself as you speak. I see you everyday and while the two of you may argue like no one's business, I think you feel some weird satisfaction doing so. You like her around you and you know it. Others may be blind to it but you have changed, subtly of course. Ever since the year started you express yourself more. You talk more, though still not a lot and when you assign laps to Momo and Kaidoh when they fight, I see you fighting a smile when you look after them. You smile at Eiji and Oishi have one of their moments, when you think no one is looking. You also have the same reaction when she walks away. Do not try to deny."

" So I can making facial expressions. I am human you know, it's not like the world is going to end just because Seigaku's student president can smile." Tezuka replied sarcastically.

" This," Fuji exclaimed, gesturing with his hands, " This is what I mean. Do you have any idea how long it has been since you attempted making a joke?"

When there was no reply, he continued, " I hope you accept what you feel someday Tezuka. Being in denial is not healthy you know." Then, his serious expression melted and his smiling mask was back on as quickly as it had gone. "Sa… looks like we've come to my stop. See you in school tomorrow! Kuni-kun, Ja-ne!"

And with a cheerful wave, he was gone.

When Tezuka went home, he prepared a quick dinner for himself and sat at his desk to study. However, he somehow found it impossible to concentrate, which was never a problem for him in the past.

_Maybe I'm just tired… _

An hour later and not much further from the page he had started on, he decided that maybe it was best that he took a rest. He glanced briefly at the clock and was surprised to find it was much later then he had expected. When he went to shut his door, he happened to look down the dark corridor and noticed Jack's room light was still on.

_Shouldn't she be asleep by now?_ He wondered and curiosity overcame him. He walked to her room and gave a couple of soft but audible knocks. There was no answer.

He called out, "Jackasa, are you in there?"

When silence ensued, he grew concerned and decided to just walk in. The sight that greeted him made him sigh with relief.

She was in the room all right, but the reason why she was unable to answer was because she was fast asleep. She was sprawled on her side, on top of the bed covers; one arm outstretched which a book attached to her grip.

Tezuka unconsciously let a small smile grace his face. She looked peaceful, the yellow light from the lamp above creating a soft glow around her head. He shook his head slightly at noticing the title on the cover, _" Chemistry"_. _That girl… and she says I'm the one who studies too much. She can be just as bad._

He knew that Chemistry was one of her weaker subjects. _She could ask me… but then again I guess I haven't really given much of a helpful impression. _

Sighing, he leaned over to take the book away. Then in an unexpected turn of events, she moved faster than he could follow, and in a matter of seconds, the buchou found his arm locked in a death grip, yanked so close their faces were no more than a couple of inches apart. Dark eyes stared back at him, wide and alert.

" What do you think you're doing?" she said with surprising fierceness in her tone.

His response came out in a tumble of words, as he had been shocked. " You fell asleep while studying. I was just going to put the book somewhere else in case you rolled onto it."

" What? I..." she blinked a few times. Then her eyes widened as she realised what was happening. Her voice softened. " Oh! It's you, I'm so sorry! I thought I was somewhere else… it was the dream I was having. So sorry. It was a purely reflex action because once last time…"

Tezuka could also stared as she started mumbling about some persons called "Kei and Zuki" and about pranks played in the past.

" I… see…" was his feeble reply. He could not understand what she was saying as she spoke at bullet speed without stopping. " By the way," he said, when she finally paused to breathe, " I would very much like my hand back now. I'm not entirely sure it's still alive."

For a moment she looked confused then realised she had not let go of his arm at all. She released it in a hurry. " Huh? Oh! Sorry about that! "

" No worries." He said in a painful tone, trying to massage some life back into it.

" So why are you here again?"

" Me? I just saw your light on and came to see if you were in. I knocked and when you didn't answer I let myself in. You were asleep."

" Oh. I'm sorry if I made you worry!"

" Stop saying sorry. You must have said it ten times already. Well," he said rising from the bed, flexing his arm to get circulation going. " I'm going to bed. Don't stay up too late."

" Sweet dreams Kunimitsu."

" Goodnight…"

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Though he did not know it, it would not be easy for Tezuka to sleep that night. For some reason unknown to him, he spent most of it tossing and turning.

And when his body did finally succumb to sleep, he had a strange dream.

_Two people locked in a very passionate embrace that would make a schoolboy blush. Heck, he would've blushed in his dreams if he could, except for two factors. One was that he was one of the pair, and two; he felt it as if their actions were oddly right. As if it was a common occurrence when he had never had such a dream before. They moved in perfect synchrony, and when they were spent, lay back in a tangled heap. He tried to look at his dream lover's face, masked by shadow._

_He found himself suddenly staring into a pair of cool blue eyes that suddenly enlarged and filled the dark space. Fuji's voice echoed in his head, repeating a single word in a chilling tone…_

"_Denial."_

_000000000_

As the shrill cry of an alarm clock shattered the silence of the dark room, signalling the break of day, Tezuka woke up with a start.

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	7. Chp 6: we open up our hearts part 2

**Life's a Stage**

Chapter 5: We open up our hearts (part 2)  


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The all too familiar swoosh of a tennis balls being spat out from the machine in rapid succession was comforting to Tezuka's ears. One of the stable things of life he could count on. At that moment, all that was in the world to him was the tennis ball machine and the reassuring swish of his racket, plus a slight sound of impact as the racket made contact with the ball, sending it hurtling towards the faded chalk drawn bull's-eye on the wall. He had been playing non-stop for the past hour or so, feeding the machine with more and more coins when the last supply had exhausted, stopping only to pick up the balls and return them to the feeder.

Sweat dripped and darkened parts of his shirt, but he could not care less. At the moment, he just wanted to get rid of all his frustrations that had built up that week. Every ball represented a face he wanted to forget, things he wished that never happened. And each time the racket connected with a ball, he felt an odd sense of satisfaction. These private practice sessions were Tezuka's guilty pleasure; a means of refuge from the maddening world out there; a world where everyone was burdened with responsibilities and an image to uphold, where he was one of those expected to be perfect in every aspect of life, where he was entrusted to lead others- a hard reality that would return once he stepped out of the green fenced courts.

As he returned another ball, his mouth twisted into a sarcastic smile and scoffed at his thoughts. _Who would ever think that the great Tezuka Kunimitsu was a mess inside? _He was an exceptional student, respected by all and held head positions in the student committee and tennis club. Who wouldn't be jealous? He just put his all in everything he did and was blessed that things would settle his way. Who would've thought that at the moment, he'd be glad to trade places with one of the more average students. _At least they didn't have everyone's hopes and expectations to burden them._

And that were only part of his current frustrations. If anyone knew what had been on his mind the past week, they would've teased him mercilessly. It was rare for him to become so worked up, aside from tournaments and in the event went his team members had their occasional moments of disputes and discrepancies. But never had he felt so baffled in the way he was now. The more he thought of it, the more frustrated he became. His dream from that few days past haunted him. Teased at his every sense and thought. Every time he closed his eyes he saw Fuji's aqualine orbs boring into his; that word echoed in his mind, nearly driving him insane. It either that or …

_Her. _

She was another matter altogether. Almost at if fate was siding Fuji, the week following his confrontation with the tensai had placed them in a record number of awkward moments. At least they had been awkward to him, that is.

There had been that time he found himself locked in another banter of words with her again and Echizen had blatantly commented they sounded like an old married couple. Then there was that combined physical fitness class in which he found himself unconsciously watching her move around the court as they competed in various games. While he knew that she was pretty fit due to her martial arts training, this allowed him to witness in sports for the first time. She did not run terribly fast, but moved fast in terms of agility and flexibility. He had not realised he was staring till Fuji had snuck up from behind him and whispered a rather suggestive remark as to what he should do afterwards.

The final straw had been when it was raining one afternoon and since practice was cancelled Tezuka arrived home earlier. Minutes later she had come through the door, soaked to the skin as she had forgotten to take an umbrella with her. He had wondered how he could have missed her as they took the same train home. She must probably have sat in a different compartment. It was just that upon entering, she had taken her jacket off and he had been treated to the sight of her white uniform top clinging to her body like a translucent second skin. Even if Fuji's comments had not affected him before, he had felt something stir within him then, at that moment. And when she had looked back at him in innocent puzzlement, he had to restrain himself from walking up to her and taking her there and then. When he had finally come to his senses, he made her go and take a warm bath, watching silently as she walked up the stairs.

He had tried everything he could to get rid of it, even avoiding his sources of frustrations; namely Jack and Fuji, but it had been to no avail. The image was burnt into his mind clearly and now every time he saw her, his thought drifted to that thin layer of white clinging to her in all the right places.

He groaned.Fate was indeed cruel._ Who knew Tezuka Kunimitsu could ever become so distracted by a girl?_ He could imagine Kikumaru and Momo laughing their heads off if they found out.

Tezuka took some coins out of his pocket and inserted them into the slot. He returned back the starting area, and gripped his racket firmly, ignoring a certain part of his left arm that had been tingling warningly for the past ten minutes. He tightened his hold around the handle and sighed as the machine whirred to life.

This was going to be a long night.

000000000

A pair of dark brown eyes watched as Seigaku's tennis buchou attacked each ball with increasing such strength and force that sometimes the balls left faint markings on the wall where they bounced off. Sweat soaked through his lavender shirt, and made it cling to his body in a fashion that with no doubt, would have sent his 'fan girls' squealing with excitement, his picture probably making it into the school magazine or something.

So she might not go all rabid as those other girls did, but Jack also could not deny that Tezuka Kunimitsu was appealing in his own way. He did have that tall dark enigma thing going on there_… Goodness, what am I thinking?_

She was not attracted to him; she couldn't be, not with someone who constantly bickered with her, not with someone who said things that hurt her. Sure, he did exhibit signs of normality, as rare as they may be but really, after everything that has happened, could she even be interested in someone like him?

As she watched him quietly from a distance, her thoughts drifted back to the training session she had just come from. A classmate had approached her, as they were packing up.

" _Jackasa, so I heard you're saying with Seigaku's tennis captain."_

" _Yah? So what?" _

" _What's that like?"_

" _Why don't you go and fine out for yourself?"_

" _Humph." Her friend said twirling one of his dark curls. " Can't you at least tell me something? One tiny piece of information, nfu… that's all I ask."_

" _Na ah, if you want data go and collect it yourself."_

" _So mean. And I thought you were my friend." He pouted playfully. " Then how about the others? Tell me …"_

" _I told you I'm not going to spy on them for you 'Zuk, they're my friends. How would you like it if I told Inui your team's secrets?" _

" _But you don't know my team's secrets."_

_She sighed. " That's not the point."_

" _Pretty please?"_

" _Cut the puppy eyes, you look funny."_

" _Humph. So mean. Why are you so moody today? Nfu… I think you seriously need to get…"_

" _Mizuki, stop bothering poor imouto-kun. You know very well she's not going to tell you anything. And FYI, don't talk to her about Tezuka. It just makes her all tense, seriously, sometimes I wonder what goes on in that house." The Hyoutei buchou grinned and patted Jack's head as if she were a kid and she glared at him, which as usual, did not work._

_She sighed. " You know it's because of that stupid prank both of you pulled those years ago that I nearly attacked Tezuka when he tried to wake me up!"_

_Atobe looked confused for a moment. " Prank? What? Oh… you mean that prank." He laughed and ruffled her hair. " Lighten up. We were just testing you. Those were the good old days eh?"_

"_Testing me? I thought someone was trying to kill me! And if I recall correctly, I could've seriously injured both of if I didn't figure out who you were faster! "_

" _Whatever, you're expression was priceless. So what were we talking about again? Ah yes, the great Tezuka Kunimitsu. So has anything interesting happened with him and imouto-kun yet?" Atobe wriggled his eyebrows suggestively._

" _Gosh, the two of you so shouldn't have been put together for that assignment. You're starting to infect each other. What's with you guys and thinking about that all the time? You know if you're so obsessed about my housemate, why don't you just go and sg him yourself?"_

_There was silence as both boys stared at her word that she had used. Jack was blushing furiously, she usually never said just things aloud. What had made her do that? _

_After a moment or two, Atobe was the first to recover and laughed. " Why Jack, I never imagined you would speak such a word. You must be really frustrated indeed. Are you sure you're not attracted to Tezuka at all? It's not a crime if you admit to wanting to fk Seigaku's prized captain you know… I'm sure many people have fantasized about it."_

" _I…" suddenly at a loss for words, she stared at Atobe, trying to tell him " no, I don't want anything to do with Tezuka Kunimitsu at all." But somehow, she could not bring herself to say so. _

_In the end, she made an exasperated noise and quickly walked away. _

_As she left, Mizuki turned to Atobe, a mischievous grin on his face. " I give it a week. What do you think?"_

_Atobe just smiled " I give it a day."_

000000000

Jack was pulled back to earth when she heard a loud clatter, as if something had dropped on the fall. Her eyes widened as she saw Tezuka kneeling on the ground, clutching his left elbow tightly, his body shaking slightly, clearly in pain. His racket lay discarded on the ground beside him. Was this that infamous injury everyone talked about? The once which was result of his being hit by a senior when he was a freshman? She quickly walked to assist him.

As she neared, her keen hearing picked up a soft whirring of machinery. To her horror, the ball machine looked as if it as going to fire another round and this time, he was not paying attention.

It was the fastest she had ever run in her life.

000000000

As Tezuka knelt on the cold floor of the court, he mentally cursed himself for being such an idiot. Sure the doctor said his arm was fully healed, but nevertheless, too long a period of intense exercise could also strain it. He had spent nearly three hours in that practice area, hitting balls without taking a rest. And now because of his weakness, letting his troubles overtake him, he had to pay the price. What was he so stressed about anyway? In the past he never let such things get the better of him.

Then, he heard it, the sound of the machine reloading and the swoosh of the ball flying in the air. And he was right in it's firing line. Currently he was in too much pain to move out of its way. _How ironic that I would be defeated by a machine_, he grimaced. He closed his eyes and braced for the impact.

A minute later, he realized the ball, in a twist of fortune, had either diverted in its course, or someone had…

" How can you stand it? That machine's scary, shooting out stuff like that…."

That voice… 

He turned to its source and sure enough, lazily leaning against the green-netted fence, was the origin of his frustrations. Even more surprising was that she held the ball in question, rolling it around her hand. How she had found him he did not know but already so stumped was he that he did not even react when the machine fired its next ball right towards him. He could only stare through what seemed to be a haze of feelings, and time appeared to go slow motion. He managed to clear his head and realised she had, by some remarkable feat, thrown the ball she possessed, in such a way that it had knocked the other off its path.

How did she do that? 

" Hey? Are you alright?"

" Hn?"

" I asked if you were ok. You looked like you were in quite a bit of pain there just now."

"Ah…" Standing up, he realised that to his relief, the throbbing in his arm had lessened considerably. " I'm fine…"

000000000

In a bizarre twist of events, Jack suddenly found herself being dragged out of the practice area, having no choice but to follow him as he pulled her into the nearby locker rooms. Of course she could have easily broken away from his hold but she did not want to hurt him. The tennis captain took a quick swig from his water canteen before proceeding towards her. The look in his eyes told her that he was clearly annoyed at her disturbance to his practice, and anger at being found out.

However, the praticised look Tezuka Kunimitsu used to bring his players into check had no effect on her. She simply countered his glare with one of her own, showing her annoyance at being brought somewhere against her own will. Then, he spoke, voice dangerously low,

" What were you thinking! You could have gotten us both injured!"

" I saved you. And you were tired, not to mention in pain, there was no way you'd had hit that anyhow."

" That is besides the point. You followed me!"

Her body stiffened at the allegation and she turned on him furiously. " Me? Follow you? What for? It's not like I'm one of those crazed fan girls of yours."

" Then explain what you are doing here."

" I was coming home from extra training and I decided to take a different route. That's all!"

" And I'm supposed to believe that?"

" Believe what you want…"

" You do not know what I want."

" Man," she groaned in frustration, "give it up already! I am not accusing you of anything, so I'd very much appreciate it if you did the same!"

She took a step forward but found herself trapped between his arms, which had been placed on either side of her, as he leant his weight slightly against the lockers behind her.

" Move aside Kunimitsu."

" Stop calling…"

" I shall address you however I want to! Now will you please kindly move aside?" she enquired, voice dripping with sarcasm.

He only stepped forward, closer till all she could see was his face, and eyes glinting fiercely behind his glasses.

" What do you want from me?"

" What I want?" he replied, slowly, confused by her sudden demand.

" Yes you, how am I supposed to know how I'm supposed to act around you when one moment you're stone cold and yet there are times when you actually feel human."

" Ask me that again…" he said softly.

" Huh? Ask what?"

" That thing about what I want."

Something in his voice, and the intense look in his eyes made her pause. She gulped, suddenly unsure of how to reply. His voice had dropped, but instead of anger, it had a rough edge to it. And the way his gold hazel gaze beheld her, Jack suddenly felt like a prey cornered by its predator.

They had argued many times before, but somehow, this one seemed different from the rest, which now all seemed insignificant in comparison. A strange tingling feeling rushed through her, and it made her frightened. When she spoke next, her voice wavered slightly despite her efforts to continue countering his gaze.

She gulped. His face so close she could feel his warm ragged breaths

" Tezuka Kunimitsu… what do you want."

The question that sounded more like a statement, as if she somehow, subconsciously knew the answer…

He leaned forward snaking an arm behind her, pulled her towards him, and crushed his lips to his. It stunned her and for a moment, she was unable to react. She tried to speak but he took advantage in her parted lips to slip his tongue in to explore her, taste her. And slowly, he broke her, as she clung to him, suddenly weak from the dizzying rush of sensations, sandwiched between his lean hard body and with the metallic coolness of the lockers radiating through the thin material of her shirt.

He suddenly lifted her up, so that she had to half straddle herself to him for support. She could felt the state of his arousal against the part of her that ached needfully. She titled her head back allowing him access to the column of her throat and shoulder, on which he planted a heated row of kisses down before settling his attentions on a particularly sensitive spot at the area where neck and shoulder joint, making her moan softly.

He felt like he was in some kind of drugged heaven, one that he did not feel like ever getting out of. Was this what he had been denying himself of? How had he managed to stand it? He let his hands wander, caressing through the fabric of her attire. He gave an experimental rock with his hips.

She gasped at the sensation that bit of contact aroused in her. " Mitsu!"

And for once he did not correct her. In the heat of the moment, it just seemed right coming from her. Somewhere in his mind, he could almost see Fuji smiling knowingly, wearing a look that said, _" I told you so."_

It was then that he somehow connected his thoughts of Fuji, with that of tennis, and he remembered where they were and what they were doing. Most importantly, what he was nearly going to do. He lowered her onto the floor with a light kiss, their breathing heavy.

Puzzled at the sudden change, she gave him questioning look.

" Not now, not here."

To his surprise, she simply smiled back and nodded once in understanding.

He went to pack his bag in silence. As they left the locker room, he stopped briefly and said without looking at her,

" Jackasa, there are some things I need to think about."

He had gone back to his normal impassive self, voice unfeeling, unmoving; showing nothing. As if they had not just trespassed the barrier between them. She was quiet for a moment, then spoke. Perfectly calm, except for the mischievous glint in her eye,

" Well, now that that's that, what's for dinner? I'm hungry."

Silence, then,

" Whatever you want."

She grinned, " Very well. Let's eat out today! There's this place I've been wanting to try…" she rambled on, walking ahead of him, oblivious to the fact that he had not moved.

He found himself looking after her in a strange sense of déjà vu. He smiled and shook his head sighing…

That girl… 

This time, he caught up to her.


	8. Chapter 7: Fall to Pieces

**Life's a Stage**

Chapter 6: Fall to Pieces

"_I just wanna know who you are_

_Wanna know where to start I_

_Wanna know want this means…_

_Wanna know how you feel_

_Wanna know what is real_" Avril Lavigne.

000 000 000

The shrill song of the bell that denoted morning classes had ended disrupted the serious atmosphere of the classroom. Pens hastily scratched and scribbled out final words as the teacher went down the room collecting the pop quiz sheets. Once the words that granted them temporary liberty left her mouth, there was a flurry of movement and a clatter of chairs, and in moments the classroom was empty.

The lunchroom was a buzz of noise as usual, crowded with students from the various levels. Jack sat with some of the tennis team, talking though not on anything specific as they had their meal. Some time during this, Fuji looked up and waved to someone.

At six feet, Tezuka stood out in the chaos of the lunchroom, nearly a head taller than many of the boys. He took slow but long strides and stood at the head their table in a matter of seconds.

The more enthusiastic greetings from the various team members made his soft but firm "Minna-san" almost inaudible. Many things happened at once. There was a quick scuffle and changing of seats and before the tennis buchou could react, he found himself sitting amongst his friends at the table, and staring at into dark chocolate orbs.

Neither of them said anything to the other and no one suspected a thing. Which to him at least, was a good thing. The previous night, he had acted in a way that could only be described as utterly careless, an ironic thing since he was forever reminding his teammates never to their guard down. He could just imagine a certain honey-brown haired tensai smile that knowing smirk of his if others ever got wind of it.

The buchou gave a mental groan. He would never be able to say "Yudan seizuni ikou" again without thinking about his own foolish behaviour.

" Tezuka, aren't you eating anything?"

Hazel gold eyes broke out of their reverie and fixated calmly at the fukubuchou. " I already ate earlier, but thanks for your concern."

" Eheh. No worries Tezuka, just making sure that every one is eating properly. We can't afford to pass out during practices, or even worse, during matches due to hunger." Oishi grinned.

" Sa… If not for Seigaku's 'mother' I'm surely that we'd be much worse off."

Said 'mother hen' turned bright red at the remark. "F…Fuji!" He spluttered in both embarrassment and indignation.

" But Oishi, Fujiko is right nyah! Without Oishi our team won't be complete! Oishi is our pillar of support! Just like Ochibi but in a different way nyah!" Eiji exclaimed, latching onto his doubles partner, which made him blush even more.

At that last comment, everyone bust out laughing.

Jack had been listening to the conversation silently, smiling and nodding at the right moments, although inwardly, she had been filled with a strange sense of anxiety. From the moment a certain tennis buchou had come to sit with them, she had felt nauseous, as if her insides had decided to take a jump and dive off the highest peak. She had been watching him closely, trying to be as inconspicuous as she one could be; although it was not an easy thing to do when the subject you were observing was sitting right opposite you.

She had no idea what to make of this whole fiasco she had gotten herself into. Well, it was a fiasco at least to her, as _he_ seemed to be as expressionless and neutral as usual. What he too, thinking of what had happened? Or did he not give a damn about it at all? And if the second were the case, then why was she so distracted by it? It was not like her get so out of grip with her emotions so easily.

_It's because you're curious. It's because you've seen another side of him. It's because you want see more…_

_And this is all nonsense; it's all in the past now and you're going to be okay in a few days… Look at the confessionals in the women's' magazines! This is not an unusual thing. Many people have gone through this kind of situation and survived. It's just that it's your first time experiencing this… It's going to be fine…_

"No it's not!" came a stubborn exclamation.

_Did I just say that out loud?_ She started to blush when her head registered that the voice did not belong to her.

Sighing inwardly in relief, she turned to the commotion at the table. "What is not? Sorry, I wasn't paying attention."

A smiling face beamed at her. " It's fine. We were just discussing a certain chemistry test. You know the titration one in this week's practical. It so happens that we're divided in the answer. Some Oishi and I came up with a shade of blue, leaning towards green, whereas Eiji had bluish-green. What about you Jackasa?"

" I still say it's bluish-green nyah!" Eiji said stubbornly.

Jack couldn't help but smile softly at the situation. " Ehm, well… sad to say that since my chemistry isn't all that fantastic I am hoping bluish-green would be the right answer since that's what I got too."

" Nyah! See Fujiko I told you!" Everyone laughed as Eiji playfully stuck out his tongue.

" Hey wait a minute." Oishi suddenly interrupted. "It means now we're even again. Jackasa's answer makes four." Eiji made a frustrated noise.

" Oishi, did you have to point that out… oh well, guess we'll have to get another opinion nyah. Hoi! How about Tezuka?"

All eyes turned to the bespectacled boy. He simply looked back with an unwavering gaze and stated simply.

" … I haven't done that practical yet."

Before anyone could comment on that, the bell rang and it was time for them to return to class. Tezuka parted from them with a single acknowledging nod. As he was leaving, his eyes locked on hers and she arched an eyebrow in response, as if questioning him.

And although there were many things he wanted to do at that moment, his normal façade took over and pretending not to notice, he turned and left.

_I'm don't want to have to do this… but it'll be for the best. I don't want to place both our reputations at stake. Yudan seizuni ikou._

000 000 000

Throughout the day and week that passed, Tezuka had slapped on his well-developed stoic façade so well it was as if nothing had happened. He neither spoke nor even argued with her. In fact, it was as if she had never step foot in Seishun Gakuen at all. Even home-wise, their communication was slivering down to a near zero. It seemed that Tezuka always stayed out for individual private practice and came home late, only to find dinner left for him in the microwave.

At this point in time, Jack simply grew even more confused. What had happened and why was he avoiding her? But how could he… especially after what had happened. Was it because of _that_? If so, then she had been very wrong about him indeed.

_Who on earth is that guy?_

She made a frustrated sound and slammed the locker door shut. The noise echoed through the training hall as she gathered her things and muttered. " Damn you..."

" Why thanks for the compliment."

She spun around at the unexpected voice, her eyes widened suddenly as she exclaimed. " What the… Why are you here? This is a girl's changing room!"

The intruder gestured around him " Don't see any other girls besides you around now do you?"

" I know but still…"

" Ne Jackasa, relax. It's not as if I'm going to do anything… unless of course, you want me too." A smirk and a purposely-suggestive arched eyebrow graced the Atobe Keigo's fair features.

" So _not_ working, considering I know your current preferences." She retorted, causing the Hyoutei captain to grin widely. " You're right. I wouldn't want to anyway…" Jack started to reply to that but he continued, " After all, you are my imouto-kun… but I know others would, why I'm surprised that Tezu…"

" Don't you mention that name to me!"

Silence reigned as Atobe, taken back by her sudden outburst, studied her carefully. " I see…" He began in a calculative tone. "Something has happened."

" So what?"

" So what? Indeed, it must be such a small matter for you are so upset about it as to go all moody and snarky."

" Kei… " she said warningly.

" Jack, you know I'm just concerned. I don't want to see you so affected by whatever it is you're keeping to yourself. What you need right now is to rant it out, which I guess correctly that you haven't done so."

Jack eyed him sarcastically. " And you're supposed to be who? Dr Phil?"

" Bah, I can do much better than that quack. He's churning out millions just by stating the obvious to defunct delusional souls." He sat on a bench and gestured to the space next to him. " Come sit and ore-sama will give you some rare and highly sought after counsel."

" And I'm afraid I have to decline. Thanks for the offer though" It was not that she did not want to talk to Atobe. It was more like she was embarrassed if she were to tell him about what had happened and that she was scared that if she did she'd end up looking like some sad sobbing mess, something she wanted to avoid. The last thing she needed was to look like some pathetic teenager who had her crush break her heart or something like that.

She picked up her bag and started walking, and was passing Atobe, when his voice, calm yet solemn broke the silence.

" You slept with him."

000 000 000

Atobe knew that he was taking a very big stab by making such a brash statement. But he also knew that the girl in front of him would not reveal anything she did not want to. That is, unless you discovered which buttons to push. And after four years, he certainly knew which ones did the trick.

Although he would have never admitted it in a million years, he had half expected a slap or a sharp retort. Perhaps followed her rolling her eyes, telling him off for suggesting such a thing, or something of the like. Well, at least if that had happened then there would be nothing much to worry about and he could've just dismissed it as her having an exceptionally cranky day.

But at his statement, she had done the complete opposite and froze. Her entire body was tensed as she slowly turned towards him. For a moment, she eyed him, chocolate orbs leveling his own gaze, as if daring him to say more.

Then, she blinked. And the next time they met his, it was as if she were a different person altogether. Her shoulders were drooped and her façade had completely crumbled. He had never seen her look so lost in a long time. Lost and tired.

Her eyes said it all.

The Hyoutei captain's eyes softened in concern and he patted the space beside him.

" Talk to me."

This time, she gave a sigh and dropped her bag on the floor before flopping down unceremoniously next to him. " Where do you want me to start?"

000 000 000

She was hurting.

It might not have been an obvious thing but someone who knew everyone's personalities well enough, and who possessed a keen eye would notice. Notice the way her smile would falter ever so slightly whenever he was near. Notice how she occasionally stole glances in his direction when he wasn't looking; giving a sad look and sigh before turning back to laugh at Eiji and the freshmen trio's antics.

Just like the one she sought to avoid, she was slowly putting on a mask.

This had to be stopped before she went and made the same mistake. It saddened and worried him to see two of his friends distancing themselves further and further from each other. Fuji knew that Tezuka, although the stoic captain would never admit it in a million years, was hurting at some level too. He had seen his long time friend sometimes staring into nothingness when he thought no one was watching, as if contemplating something. The taller boy would be watching her interacting with the others and when Fuji's eyes caught the former's gaze and eyed him speculatively, he would turn and pretend to focus somewhere else.

He had never really asked Tezuka what the matter was as it was hard to get the bespectacled buchou to open up, even to his closest friends. Experiences in the past had proven that. Tezuka was the kind to keep his trouble to himself, as he did not want to burden anyone with what he deemed "distracting and trivial matters." But whatever it was, it must have been pretty serious for the situation between them was certainly not improving at all.

Not to mention that whenever he tried to start talking to the other boy about it, Tezuka would suddenly announce he had something of urgency to attend to and leave, or he'd divert the conversation.

Cerulean eyes showed themselves briefly for a moment as the tensai watched as Tezuka went into the tennis club's locker rooms. After a moment, he stepped out from his hiding place and headed in that direction as well.

His decision was made. _Tezuka Kunimitsu…This time I shall not let you go till I know the truth._

000 000 000

To say that Jack was nervous was an understatement. It was fortunate she was trained to deal with all sorts of situations otherwise she would have easily gotten an anxiety attack. She had to sit on her hands to prevent them from going back to the old habit of trembling.

As she sat in the dark science lab, she wondered if she had chosen to do the right thing. Upon much pondering and pushing by a certain 'diva' captain, she had finally gathered up the courage to meet Tezuka, to perhaps talk things over. Although she wondered how much talking they'd do anyway, seeing he was practically oblivious to her existence recently, despite the fact they stayed under the same roof. Many a time she had stood outside his door, ready to confront him about the incident. But her resolve would falter and she'd let the hand that was poised to knock, drop to her side and she'd despondently trudge back to her room. The times she did knock, she had pretty much shied away and fled at the moment she heard him shuffling to the door.

Now, ten minutes past the time stated, she wondered if he would actually come. _He must think I'm so pathetic. He probably didn't even read the note I left him… I wonder why I even bother… what am I hoping for anyway? To kiss and makeup and live happily ever after? Yeah right… you of all people should know life ain't no fairytale. He's unlikely to show at his rate… he's either punctual to the dot or he doesn't come at all. Who am I kidding? I should just go…_

" I believe you wanted to see me…"

Jack nearly fell off the lab table in a start at the deep voice. He was actually there, standing in flesh and blood, a few feet away from her. Why didn't she hear him coming in? _Oh, that's right… you were too wrapped up in silly fantasies._

She did not realize she had been staring at him dumbly till he spoke. " Hn… I must have been mistaken. Perhaps that note was from someone else. I'll leave…"

He turned towards the door and she still sat and stared. She struggled to form a coherent sentence but nothing was coming out. Her mind was screaming_… Do something! Say something before he disappears and you may never get a chance like this again!_

Finally, she abandoned that long 'speech' she had originally planned to give him and said the only thing that mattered.

" Why."

000 000 000

Tezuka froze in his tracks at that single utterance.

" Why."

He turned around slowly, although his eyes did not meet hers. " It was too risky." He said as neutrally as possible. " We have reputations at stake. I did not want to bring you down with me."

She made an unladylike noise that resembled a snort. " Bullshit."

Indeed it was. He could not agree more but all he had to defend himself were flimsy excuses. Yet he still persisted. " That night… I wasn't thinking straight. I was selfish and I gave into my desires. I apologise if I have misled you."

" Well," she said, throwing her hands dramatically into the air. " And I suppose that just solves everything. That's just classic you know. Weren't you not the one who said he needed to do some thinking before first? Apparently you didn't think hard enough. How reckless indeed."

There wasn't anything he could say at this point. What else could he say anyway? That he still wanted her? That she occupied his thoughts 24/7? He knew it would come to this. He had come upon Fuji's insistence. The tensai had been having 'talks' with him recently and he had come to confess what had happened. Part of him had been reluctant to come. Not because he did not want to, but because he was afraid he might not be able to control himself. What if he hurt her again?

Yet there was that other part of him that had won over, the part that wanted to see her again. The part that had held the slightest bit of concern he had been trying so hard to ignore, with a sliver of was he could only describe as hope. But was exactly that hope was for he did not know. Fuji had said she was sad. Apparently she must really hate him now. He had practically used her and then threw her aside without a second thought.

Sarcasm dripped heavily from her voice as she continued. " I must say that I excepted better of you. Looks like I've been blinded along with everyone else. You're no better than the next guy out there, the only difference being you held off your needs longer."

Her voice started to shake and the tone dropped. Her shoulders rose and fell as she took a deep breadth to steady herself. When she spoke next, her voice was barely audible in the silence.

" I should leave… I… I have better things to do… yet," she gave a choked laugh. "Yet I don't feel like going at all. Tell me… should I go?"

For the first time since he had arrived at the science lab, their eyes met. The silent buchou was at a loss for words. He wanted no better than to go up to her and hold her. Hold her like there was no tomorrow. Hold her and forget what had happened. For reasons incomprehensible, he knew that he would forever regret it if he let her walk out like that. Yet as he stood where he was, he found himself unable to move, unable to speak.

" So Tezuka Kunimitsu, should I stay or not?"

Silence.

Her eyes downcast, she sighed tiredly and hopped off the table. " I guess I'm the one being foolish and selfish now then. Clearly I've wasted your time…"

" Wait."

Even in dim light that came from the corridor outside, his gold-hazel eyes still glittered behind his glasses.

He came to stand behind her. " I… Don't go." She looked at the ground sadly.

" I'm afraid that's not good enough."

" What if I said I didn't want you to go?"

" Na-ah."

" What if," he suddenly grabbed her shoulders and spun her around so she was facing him. " What if I said I didn't want you to go because I didn't want to loose you?"

" I…"

" Wait", he silenced her, putting a finger on her lips, ignoring her glare of indignation. " What if, I said that I've been utterly messed up the past week, thinking of what a mess I've made of things; wondering if you'd hate me forever, wondering if you'd smile and laugh for me the way you smile and laugh at the others silly antics, wondering…" he took a breath. "Wondering when I could hold you again."

He ran his hand down her arm, a move that sent a pleasant shudder down her body. "Wondering when I could touch you again." The finger that was on her mouth gently traced her lip and she trembled. " Wondering if I should have taken that gamble and done what I wanted." Tezuka suddenly withdrew his hands and looked away, his voice soft. " Perhaps then, it could have turned out differently."

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There, he had said it. And while he was glad that he had taken that load off his chest, he was still not fully relieved. He should never have touched her. It was only going to make the parting worse. His heart pounded in his chest wildly. He had never done a confession of such great proportions before.

_I must sound like a desperate rambling idiot. _

" You know…" her voice broke him from the chaos of his mind. " That was the saddest and most overused speech I've ever heard."

He felt like a ton of bricks had avalanched and buried him under them.

" But you know, I actually bought that."

_Wait a minute… what did she just say?_ His gaze traveled to lock with hers. The small cracked smile on her face was the best thing he had seen in days.

He looked at her cautiously, " You don't hate me."

" Hate you?" She arched an eyebrow. " Who said I hated you? How can I? As stiff and annoying as you can be sometimes you're not hopeless or anything you know."

" Does that mean…" He didn't dare make any assumptions without clarifying them now.

" You said something about taking a gamble and doing what you want. Don't tell me you forgot already. Maybe I should amend that 'hopeless' bit. In case memory fails you taking a risk means going for something when opportunity presents itself…mmph!"

Her words were cut off when he suddenly reached out and pulled her against him, claiming her lips with his.

The kiss was brief but hungry. He wanted to do so much more than kiss her but given where they were it wouldn't be advisable. It was still school time. It was just their luck there wasn't a class needing to use the lab at the moment.

When it was over, she asked breathlessly, "what about keeping up appearances Mr. Student President?" she purposely emphasis on his rank.

" Hn…" He pretended to think for a while. " I guess we will work something around it."

And he kissed her again.

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_A/N: Whoo! It's certainly been awhile since I updated this! I thank my supporters/ regular readers for their patience. I was very stumped on how to write this bit for reasons unexplainable. I'll try my best to bring the next chapter faster though and please continue reading! Hope you enjoyed it so far!_


	9. Chapter 8: No Matter What

**Life's a Stage**

Chapter 8: No Matter What

"_I can't deny what I believe  
I can't be what I'm not…" Boyzone_

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He could have sworn he had heard her wrongly the first time; after all, she had never really shown but interest in that activity, yet, the clarity of her request had been unmistakable. Bust just to make sure, he had asked her to repeat it anyway.

" Teach me how to play tennis."

He looked up from his dinner and studied her carefully, in case she was just joking with him, but the look on her face was a serious one.

After a few moments of silence, he asked, " Why?"

" For the inter-sports day at school. You know, the one where we have to play a different sport?"

Something was not adding up here. " You could choose a different one… why tennis? Didn't you say last time that you couldn't play at all?"

"Well, you see, the truth is I… I was challenged…"

" By Sato."

" Yeah" she began, then blushed furiously upon realization "… wait a minute, how did you know?"

Tezuka sighed. " Jackasa. I may not socialize much but it is a high school, and gossip does spread very fast. Though I was not there, Inui told me you two were arguing in the hallway and it somehow resulted in her challenging you to a tennis match on the day of the inter-sports tournament and you accepted." He paused then added," which I personally think that you should annul as soon as possible."

" … Does that mean you won't teach me?" she pouted slightly.

" Tennis, or any sport for that matter is not to be used for that kind of purpose. And as one who does martial arts, you should know better."

" But you should have seen what she did to that poor freshman!"

The straight-faced boy took a sip of his tea. " While her actions were certainly not right, these matters are best left to the staff to deal with… and…"

" Hark! Is that the wind I hear?" She suddenly exclaimed, turning to the window. "It's awfully strong today don't you think?"

" Jackasa…" he said in a warning tone.

" Alright, fine. I'll admit I have another reason… well you see…" she began nervously " before the whole challenge fiasco started… around the time the date for the festival was announced, I sorta promisedEijithatI'dgiveitatry."

She mumbled the last bit so fast he almost couldn't catch it. " Hn…" was all he could respond.

" Well, he had been kinda down that day… remember the time he was sick and couldn't go for practice? He was so happy after that that I couldn't bear to tell him no. And then he went and told Fuji and said they'd come and support me on that day… "

_So that was the reason_. " Did you tell him you can't play at all?"

"Eheh… that sorta skipped my mind. Aw, c'mon, you know how hard it is to say no with that wide pleading eyed look of his."

Silence.

" So what do you say?" She got up and walked to his side of the table and tugged his sleeve. " Please?"

He took another sip of tea. " And in exchange I'll do anything you want me to alright? I'll do all the household chores; take out the trash, wash the laundry… everything for a month! I really don't want to let them down. It'd be embarrassing for me not to even serve properly, especially since you all are such good players… Or I'll go ask someone else!"

The stoic captain sat in contemplation for a while. Then again… she did want to do this to make her friends happy… which was a nice thing to do. He knew that she had a good heart and even though part of her might want to do so for vengeful purposes… she was not the type go that far to purposely hurt someone in a match. _But that Saikoubi Sato on the other hand… _

While he would not voice it out loud, he was worried for Jackasa. While she was undoubtedly intelligent and strong enough to stand on her own, sometimes she was a little naïve in some areas… whether Saikoubi would play a fair game was the question. The ice-queen of Seigaku was actually part of the girl's tennis team in the past but had given up the position for a better offer- head of the cheerleading club.

On another hand, teaching Jackasa tennis would have some benefits; not only would she know the game better and not have to keep asking them about the different strokes and such, it was also mean that they'd have an excuse to spend more time together.

" Kunimitsu, are you listening to me at all?" she asked, hands on her hips.

" Hn… you were saying?"

" Sigh… I said, if you didn't want to, I'd go and ask someone else to teach me. It's not like you're the only tennis player I know."

An image suddenly flashed through his mind. Jackasa; face flushed and breathing heavily while her eyes determinedly concentrated on her task, as some faceless figure of another guy had his arms around her as he guided her through the strokes of the game, while at the same time wearing a twisted leer, which she was totally oblivious to…

That was enough to convince him. "Fine."

" Huh?" she was taken off guard, and it was her turn to look at him warily. "What did you say?" She asked, not daring to assume too fast.

" I said I'll do it. I'll teach you how to play tennis."

" Really?"

" But you must be prepared to spend a good bit of time and effort on it understand. Tennis is not something you can learn overnight. I'll need more than one session just to teach you the bare basics."

" I… Thank you so much. I promise I'll try my best Kunimitsu!"

…The beam on her face and the grateful hug she had given him following that statement was certainly worth it.

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… And that was how they ended up spending their weekends, when they had finished their homework, going to the courts that she had found him at those nights ago. They had decided on that location since few people used it and therefore, their chances at being spotted would be slimmer.

Or so they thought anyway.

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" Nyah Inui! Why have you brought us here?" Kikumaru Eiji asked with a note of confusion in his voice. " And why must we be so quiet when there's no one here?"

" Hey Echizen! To think we never knew there was another tennis court here when we've been playing next to it all this time! It's like some cool mystery story! Isn't that neat or what!"

The ex-freshman prodigy merely gasped. " Momo sempai, I you're strangling me…"

" Fsh… figures. You wouldn't even notice if sometime threw a tennis ball in your face." Kaidoh muttered sullenly. He was already not too pleased at being pulled from his daily training routine for what he suspected to be another one of Inui's strange spying schemes. The fact that his rival was there acting loud and brash as usual wasn't helping at all.

" Why you… Mamushi!" Momo marched up to his teammate. "Trying to pick a fight again?"

" Are you looking for one? Fsh…"

" Nyah Inui, you didn't answer my question! Why are we here?"

" I'm waiting for everyone to settle down first."

" Let me help you. Hey everyone… quiet please, Inui wants to speak… ehm… this is not working…hello! People… eh? Fuji, why are you giving me this racket? I… GREATO! BURNING! EVERYONE KEEP QUIET AND LISTEN TO INUI! I SAY, eh? What happened? Ehm… right… listen to Inui."

Everyone laughed at poor Taka's, who was now blushing sheepishly, then diverted their attention to the one responsible for this meeting.

Silence.

" Oi, Inui sempai, aren't you supposed to tell us what we are doing here?"

The spiky haired senior, also the tallest of the group and a good inch taller than Tezuka himself looked up from his notebook and said with a gleam in his eyes, " I-data."

" What? We came all the way just for this? Can't you do it yourself?" the young prodigy exclaimed. " Whatever it is, I'm going."

" Hoi Inui, don't you always do this anyway? What's so different this time Nyah?"

Fuji, who had been silent under that point, spoke carefully, as if measuring his words as he read Inui's intentions.

" I think we have been brought here because of who the subject of the data is. Am I right Inui?"

" Once again, Fuji has uncovered me."

" You're spying on Tezuka." It was more a statement then question.

" I-data."

The response was immediate.

" You're spying on Tezuka buchou?"

"Fsh…"

" Nyah!"

" Inui, maybe you should reconsider this…"

" That's suicidal, what if we get caught?"

" Nyah Inui! But what's so interesting in Tezuka? It's not as if he has some dark secret like in those horror movies." Eiji's comment made the others look slightly amused and also disturbed as they tried to imagine their buchou as some axe-wielding fiend.

" This is where I come in." Inui announced. " As you all already know, I have been collecting data on Tezuka to try to hopefully beat him one day. He has a few other secluded areas he often practices at. But recently I have discovered something of great interest." He paused to adjust his glasses.

" Nyah! What is it? Don't keep us in suspense!" Eiji exclaimed.

" Recently in my gatherings of data, I have found a change in Tezuka's normal pattern. He seems all the more wary of people following him and recently, when he has come here, he has had company with him."

" Wah, Tezuka buchou's in some secret meeting! With who?" asked Momo.

" That is what I want to share with you all today." Inui glanced at his watch, then at the surroundings. The faint crackle of someone stepping on a dried twig or leaf broke the group out of their silent trance. The data tennis player gestured towards a large clump of bushes a few feet away.

" It is time. I suggest you all some place, and try not to make a sound… unless, you want to sample the trial run of my latest remix."

Everyone stared in horror at the plastic bottle Inui suddenly produced, and at the murky orange contents within. Without any protest save, for a few muffled yelps, they dashed behind the bushes, Inui grinning manically behind his glasses as he followed suit.

" I-data."

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"Time out. "

" What now?" Jack groaned at her opponent in the opposite court, getting slightly impatient. After she had been drilled in a few basic strokes, Tezuka had decided that the best way to test her true abilities was to have a short match, in which he had graciously enough banned himself from using the more "special" moves. Banned at least, for the time being. He had warned her that if he felt that she was ready enough, he would pull on a more advanced attack and not give her any warning prior.

However, what irked her was not the surprise attacks, but rather, the frequency of which he stopped the game to correct her. They consisted of the bigger not-to-dos like when she stood in a completely unguarded stance after serving, something she that was already embedded into her mind from the early JEDA days. The motto was _Be ready inside, fool the enemy on the surface_. The one for tennis seemed to be very different. More like _show them you're ready to win_. It was not that she minded his correction of the more major mistakes, but rather, his impeccable sight of the small ones, things that only a seasoned tennis player such as he would notice; a seasoned and perfectionist one at that. Sometimes her racket slanted too much to one side while making cut serves, at other times her feet were too close or far apart. Her waist turned too much, her wrist made a barely noticeable move that caused the ball to go out. It was either this or that. Nothing seemed to please the tennis captain. At this point of time, she was seriously considering hitting him with the racket she currently held.

He was next to her now, silently observing, studying the position he had asked her to repeat and hold for him, which was a power ball backstroke that looking vaguely like a golfing position.

" You've a good back stroke."

" Is that all? You could just tell me from the other side you know. No need to come all the way here." She retorted in a half groan half annoyed voice. Which, of course, earned a furrow of brow and small frown from him.

" Let me finish. Don't be impatient Jackasa. Tennis is not something you can learn overnight."

" Yes sir. So, what is the problem this time?"

" Jackasa." He admonished sharply, " be serious."

" Oh fine."

He continued circling her like a hawk. " As I was saying, your backhand is strong. But you're still using too much strength. Also, your body need not move so much. That is the reason why your ball keeps going out."

" Look, not to be rude or anything, but I've been trying that for the past ten minutes. I still can't figure it out."

" Hn. Well then, let me show you." He stepped forward so that he stood right behind her. He took the hand with her racket in his own and brought it forward, then back, swiping it forward again in a downward arch. " Your swing is too forceful. Do it like this." He repeated the movement, showing her the difference.

" And when you swing backwards, while you do turn your body to guide the direction, it is not so much." He showed her the correct method to turn, placing his hands on her waist as he walked her through the process, softly muttering instructions under his breath. " That's right. Like that. No, now you're doing it wrong again…"

Jackasa, like any other person, did not like being told she was wrong, not to mention, repeatedly at that. But it seemed that the tennis captain's voice was no longer as sharp and commanding as it had been before, when they were playing, a factor which resulted from Tezuka to raise his voice in order to be heard from the other side of the court. Instead it had a gentler, calmer air to it. By now, she realized that when the buchou was in what she dubbed "game mode", he would carry the serious, concentrating air of the competition, embracing it fully into his demeanor until the end. This mood that he exuded right now, was the one that made his opponents and even spectators watching, view him with fear, admiration and respect. It was that very air about him that managed to keep the tennis club in relative order and bade them strive their very best for their competitions. However, it was also that part of him that gave him the "officially has a stick up his ass" label. And to some extent, she did agree with it, for Tezuka in "normal mode" was bad enough. It was fortunate that she had gone through the so-called hell known as JEDA's BMT. Experiencing uber serious Tezuka all by yourself could be a pretty scary experience, or in her case, frustrating. But she did have to admit that the guy had tons of patience, _most people_, she thought, _would probably had given up by now_.

_And the fact that I came in barely knowing how to serve correctly, to actually hitting back something with the correct method shows how good a teacher he is. Tezuka Kunimitsu… You're certainly a special person…_

" Jackasa… Jackasa!"

The sudden sharpness in his tone managed to jerk back to alertness, as well as the feel of a slight pressure on her shoulders. He was eyeing her with a small glare, clearly frustrated in finding out that she had not been paying attention to his coaching for the past minute or so. The casual onlooker would have easily picked up on that tensed moment, of the tennis buchou's obvious annoyance by both his glare and in tone of voice. But she knew better. There were the subtleties that she had picked up after time to state otherwise. She grinned up at him reassuringly.

" No worries, I just ran away with my thoughts there. You were saying?"

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" Nyah… Oishi, I'm bored. "

" Quiet Eiji. They might hear us."

" But… Ooishi…" the redheaded boy pouted.

" Che. I agree with Eiji sempai. Can we leave?" Ryoma asked sleepily from his position behind the large clump of bushes, which was squashed between Momo and Kaidoh, a place that not many would want to be in, in his opinion. The two fifth years were at loggerheads as usual. In fact, the freshman prodigy had never recalled seeing them not arguing over something or the other. Half the they had been crouching there; Ryoma was in fear of being crushed, should the two start squabbling, as he had no place to dodge to this time, unless of course, he were to stand and it would reveal their hiding place to their buchou, who would obviously not be pleased about this whole situation. Then again, Ryoma personally preferred to suffer running endless laps and the infamous Tezuka glare then play mediator to the two he was stuck between. _Why did I agree to this again?_

It had been a good ten to fifteen minutes since Tezuka had made his appearance at the well-concealed tennis court, followed by Jack, which definitely surprised everyone, except Inui and also, Fuji for some reason. Not so surprising was that they seemed to be in a battle of words again. One of the similarities Ryoma noted between the tennis buchou and his housemate, compared with the pair of Momo and Kaidoh, was that they seemed to annoy the heck out of each other, a lot. Except that Momo and Kaidoh's fights were really just steps away from a real physical challenge, mostly ending with a duel of tennis or buchou making them run laps. Jackasa however, not being part of the tennis club, could not be punished in that way, which even Ryoma thought was fortunate for her. For if she was in the tennis club, she's have nicely clogged up a good hundred laps within the first week.

But the arguments his two senior sempai's had weren't as childish as Momo and Kaidoh's. Rather, it appeared to be more of a challenge or other sorts. Not tennis, not who could last longer. It was more on how far Jack would go to push Tezuka's buttons before he reacted. Echizen and the others had by now realized this was a somewhat good thing as they had ever seen the normally silent, brooding captain talk was during these word wars. And considering how little Tezuka interacted, which was probably even less than Ryoma, that said something. They did not taunt each other in the way Momo and Kaidoh did. Rather, when a discussion was taking place, the girl would try by all means and ways to get Tezuka to give an opinion, even the simplest yes or no. Otherwise, while sad to say, Tezuka Kunimitsu would be simply one really boring individual.

The thing that bothered Ryoma most at that moment was that they were hiding as silently as they could behind the vegetation and watching something they could easily see in school on a daily basis. It was not at all surprising that both Jackasa and buchou even continued their little tirade in private. However, the senior high freshie's complaints were in vain, with the fukubuchou just giving him a disapproving yet sympathetic look. It was clear that he was not the only one feeling bored. The normally hyperactive Kikumaru was sitting on the grass, leaning into Oishi, who was gently stroking his back in a consoling manner, whispering words of encouragement under his breadth, while occasionally looking from the small hole he had created at his spot of the bush to the two in the court, and looking at the back of Inui's spiky head glaring silently. In fact, the data collector and Fuji seemed to be the only ones finding this even mildly exciting at all.

When Jack and Tezuka had finished their word exchange, they had started to play tennis. Or rather, it appeared that Tezuka was teaching Jack how to play the game. For a bunch of people who could more or less play blindfolded, the basics were boring to watch- even if their buchou's form while demonstrating the strokes was certainly an eye opener. So not being able to leave, Ryoma chose to get comfortable between Momo and Kaidoh with some careful maneuvering, and lay down on the grass. And, ignoring his sempai's protests, he pulled his cap so it covered his eyes and decided to catch up with some sleep.

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When Tezuka had decided that Jack's backstroke had improved to a suitable level, he resumed their game, and this time, both, stopping her less, played a game more vigorously than any of their previous ones. In fact, it was the first time they had continued for five minutes without stopping, except when Jack had to pick up the ball when she missed the counter hit. Tezuka, being who is he of course, won the first two rounds without any effort.

It was her turn to serve, for that last deciding round, not that there was much of a decision since the score was a big 2-0, with the obvious one in the lead. The tennis captain watched silently as Jack had to pick up her ball again. While his no nonsense exterior remained, inside, he was surprised to find that he felt somewhat pitiful for her. He, having the advantage of his special "Tezuka Zone" move was barely even sweating. The aim of the "zone" was to tire his opponents out by making them run around the court to get far shots while he only moved a step back, forward, or sideways, whichever was relevant. Jack on the other hand, barely even knew the game, and armed with just a couple of lessons, looked as if she had done a cross-country marathon. She was breathing heavily, shoulders heaving and cheeks flushed. Yet, he found her general appearance strangely enticing, and was tempted to go and tuck the hair that had came loose from her ponytail back behind her ears.

_She looks as if we just had… no, Tezuka, what are you thinking? Concentrate on the darn game. You can fantasize later! Think of something else. Oh dear, this is getting bad… ok, let's see. I need a distraction. Something very unappealing... like… Inui juice! Yes! Tezuka! Inui juice! Think of Inui juice…_

He did not realize just how distracted he had become until after the ball she served slammed hard onto the ground, directly on the baseline. For a moment, still partially blurred from his inner conflicts, he just stared blankly into space. Then, as the gears in his mind started functioning properly, and his eyebrows furrowed as he looked at her.

" Jackasa." He said from his side of the court. " Aren't you going to serve? And why do you look so happy?"

" Erm, I just did." He looked where she was pointed to, and sure enough, there was the tennis ball resting on the baseline.

" Hn." Was all he could manage. When did that happen?

" You know what? We don't have to count that. I didn't realize you weren't ready. My bad." She shrugged from her side.

" No. We shall count it. 15-0. Serve again."

This time, he made sure he was not distracted by anything at all. He took the last game as well.

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Jack collapsed against the green fencing, leaning forward slightly, head faced to the ground as she took in deep breathes of air. She never thought she had to run so much. Running had never been favourable with her. The towel was peeled from her head and the next moment she felt a pair of hands massaging her shoulders. It felt really good and she closed her eyes, concentrating on the soothing sensation and calming silence of the surroundings. After a few minutes, she felt the pressure lessen and the tennis captain's deep voice broke the silence, concern lacing his tone.

" Jackasa. Are you okay?"

She opened her eyes as she straightened up quite reluctantly. She just wanted to flop onto a big pile of soft pillows and not do anything for the rest of the day. Of course, more of that massaging would not be bad idea either.

" I'm alright. Thanks for asking."

" Do you need more water? You can have mine."

" Thanks but I'm fine really. Just a little tired that's all. Haven't exerted myself that much in sometime."

" Ah."

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Tezuka frowned. He could tell that she was more than a little tired and frankly, if not for the curious eyes peering at them, he would probably have sat both of them on the ground, pulled her against his chest and let her rest it out for a few minutes-

Yes, he knew that they had unwanted company hidden somewhere. Inui had always followed him from a distance for a long time now, and Tezuka was fairly certain that the fellow Seigaku team member knew that the tennis captain was aware of his presence. After all, it was natural for spiky haired player to follow everyone around and collect his data.

However, as an intrusive to his privacy as Inui had been, Tezuka had never felt like confronting the other boy as the latter hardly posed a threat to them. Inui may have collected files of information on many things but he was not the kind of person to blackmail anyone and reveal important secrets. Years of practice had made him retain that stoic façade of his even when he was alone, just in case anyone might be watching.

" Okay…" she sighed, her voice breaking her from his thoughts. " I think I should be able to function properly now."

He studied her to make sure. Her breathing was not so hard now; though it was obvious she was still tired by the slight flush in her cheeks. She was standing upright now, not totally putting her weight on the fence as she had been before, but still stood with her back close to it anyhow. She had taken off the elastic band that pulled her hair back and her smooth brown black mane cascaded just below her shoulders. In fact, he thought, now she looked even more as if… _with her face flushed like that... Control yourself Tezuka_… he scolded mentally, _this is not the time or place._

" Are you alright there?" This was the third time within ten minutes Jack had caught him spacing out, so now it was her turn to give him a worried look. " If you're tired or something we can continue another day you know… h…hey… what are you doing…"

The tennis captain had taken an unexpected step forward, and planted himself so close to her that she could feel his warm breath on the side of her face, while supporting himself on the fence behind them with one hand. His eyes also held a strange gleam in them, when he spoke, his voice dropped.

" Jackasa…" was it her or did he seem to be coming even nearer still.

His breath was on her ear now. " Jackasa. I want to collect my payment."

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" What, now?" she asked uncertainly, backing into the fence. Somehow, after he had finally given into coaching her, she had made the mistake of saying that she would repay him anyway he wanted. "A kiss" he had finalized. She should have known darn well by then that his definition of a kiss was not just a simple brush of the lips.

" But…" she began, not really comfortable with doing such a thing in public.

His dark gaze was mere inches away from he now, and coming closer. Blushing furiously, she decided to spill the beans and blurted out, " Not with them watching!"

Tezuka pulled back, his eyes widening slightly as her comment settled in. " You. Knew?"

" Yeah, since we first arrived here… wait a minute… you knew too?"

They stared at each other for a few moments, and then Tezuka reached up and adjusted his glasses, sighing, " They aren't exactly the most quiet bunch of people… and I admit that I have known that Inui has been spying on us for some time."

" And you didn't do anything about it?"

" It didn't seem necessary." The dark haired boy said. " But now…" he turned to quickly glare at the mass of bushes, where he suspected the others were hiding. " I'd be too kind to just make them run laps."

" Laps again eh. Don't you ever get bored of doing that?" when he turned an arched a questioning eyebrow at her, Jack explained, " I mean, looking at someone run around the court must be rather boring every time, and not to mention, they would know the kind of punishment they'd get for misbehaving right? Won't they get used to it in that case?"

Tezuka continued to stare the girl next to him. He certainly had not thought about anything like that.

" Then what would you suggest I do?"

She shrugged. " Ha-ha, I have no idea actually. One of those random nonsensical things that pop into my head from time to time. Just ignore that. By the way… what's so interesting in watching us play tennis, do they have nothing better to do? Heck, do you think they even know we know about them?"

When he didn't respond, she turned to find him leaning again the fence, arms folded, as if in contemplation of something.

Finally, after awhile, he spoke. " Hn… I think I have it."

" Eh? Have what?" she was confused now.

" I was thinking about that alternate punishment thing." He unfolded his arms and explained. " You've heard of the phase ' give the person a taste of his own medicine'?"

" Yes…"

" You raised a good point there…" he began, " What Is so interesting with watching us play tennis? If Inui wanted to take some data, he'd be better off watching me when I practice alone or at proper matches, than watching me train you… and not only that, why bring the others this time when he can easily do this by himself?" He paused for a second, and continued. " Therefore, he must be wanting to show them something that would cause a considerable reaction out of them; the only reason I can think of is being that he has somehow known, or at least suspected about us."

Jack simply stared at him; it was the first times she had known him to talk that much, and at one go before. And at the end of it, she let out a small laugh at the realization. " Well well Mr. Holmes…" she purposely emphasized the name of the famous Victorian sleuth. " Excellent deduction! But I'm afraid I still don't get your point."

" Hn… I'm coming to that. What I meant is, all this time has passed, and from their viewpoint, nothing has happened. And I wouldn't be surprised if they've stopped thinking that anything 'special' is going to happen. Knowing Inui, he won't announce his findings just yet. He'd want them to 'see' for themselves."

Tezuka took a step forward, then another, and soon Jack found her line of vision blocked by his broad shoulder span. " Therefore, I was thinking perhaps we could turn this to our advantage…"

Without looking up, Jack could tell that dark gleam was back in his eye again. She felt his hands brush up her arms in a light caressing action, and came to rest, one on each shoulder. A pleasant shudder went down her spine.

" Kunimitsu…"

" So… are you going to assist me in this…"

000000000

" Oi. Momo Senpai. Stop poking me. I want to sleep."

" You can't fall asleep now Echizen!"

" But why?"

" Because it's unfair! Everyone is equally bored but do you see anyone else sleeping? Take it like a man!"

" Whatever."

" Echizen!"

" Oi, Momoshiro, stop being so noisy."

" Same to you."

" Fsh… What? Fsh… You're the one making all the noise! Baka…"

" Oi viper, you want a fight!"

" Fsh… why you.."

During the time this scenario took place, Eiji was now drawing on the dirt ground with a stick, giggling softly to himself at the same time at his caricatures of the team. He was about to draw a snake version of Kaidoh when Fuji spoke up.

" Sa… it looks as if they are done."

" Finally Nya…" the acrobatics player found his exclamation muffled when Oishi clamped a hand over his mouth.

" Not just yet Eiji." His doubles partner said, smiling softly at the redhead's antics. " We have to wait for them to be at a distance so they can't see or hear us."

In response, Eiji gave a despondent "Hoi…" to which, Oishi laughed silently.

" Jackasa looks very tired." Fuji observed, a hint of concern in his voice as he spoke of his classmate.

" Hoi," Eiji peered through the hole in the brush he shared with Oishi. " Tezuka shouldn't have gone so hard on her Nyah! He even used the Tezuka Zone!"

They watched as Jack recovered from her temporary state of breathlessness and more than one pair of eyes went slightly wide as they saw their buchou displaying a rarely seen side of himself, as he gently massage his housemate's shoulders. He was talking to her, though it was at a volume too soft for them to make out a word.

" Nyah! Tezuka is suddenly so nice. One wouldn't think he could be like that especially after being so serious and scary during that match!"

" As strict and hard as Tezuka is, he does care for people close to him. You should know that by now Eiji." Oishi chided.

" Hoi, but even so it still is rather surprising. And he and Jackasa seem to be arguing all the time!"

" Just because people argue all the time does not mean they totally dislike each other… Some people find that the only way they can communicate. "

" Scary nyah. I'm glad I don't have to do that with Oishi."

" Me too." The moon volley player smiled and ran a hand through his partner's hair lovingly. Eiji made a sound akin to soft mewing, leaning back against his dark haired boyfriend and reveling in the sensation it brought. Then after a moment, his brows furrowed confused, and he commented, " Nyah Oishi, so does that mean that Tezuka and Jackasa like each other?"

To that, Oishi blushed at the double meaning to Eiji's innocent question. "Eiji… don't say things like that!"

" Nyah? Like what?"

" Sa…" Fuji suddenly piped up, his cerulean orbs open. " You know, Eiji might not be wrong."

" Fuji! Don't encourage him!"

" Nyah? What's happening? Fuji! Oishi!" Gathering no response from either, Eiji resumed watching the two on the courts. " Eh, what is Tezuka doing? Why is he standing so close to her? He's bending forward. Is he telling her a secret? Why would he do that nyah! Wait, he's… he's… NYAH! He just kissed her!"

At Eiji's sudden exclamation, all behind the bushes seemed to snap to alert attention, snapping their heads round to look at the alleged scene. Eyes went wide and jaws dropped as they saw their normally stoic buchou kiss his housemate with ardent fevered passion. He even had his hands wandering round her waist and back, holding her tightly to him. The one being subjected to these ministrations seemed no less opposed to his boldness and was receiving his kiss with familiarity, as if they had done such a thing before. They team could only stare in blank silence until the pair had parted for air.

" Did everyone just see that?" Momo asked weakly when he had found his voice.

" Fsh…" Kaidoh's fierce blush confirmed it.

" I-data." Inui grinned smugly, closing his notebook.

" Nyah! Inui! How can you just say that! This is serious! Tezuka just kissed Jackasa!" Eiji exclaimed.

" It's alright Eiji." Fuji smiled reassuringly. However, his blue orbs held a knowing glint.

" Nyah! Fuji knew too!"

" Sa…"

" Nyah! How did you two know? Did Oishi know too?" he rounded on his partner.

" I ehm… I had some suspicions. That's all." Oishi replied meekly.

" And you didn't tell me nyah!"

" They were just speculations Eiji."

" But still! And the rest of you! Did you know as well?"

" Eiji, do they look as if they did?" Fuji pointed out the stunned reactions of the others.

" Che. It's about time buchou got…"

" Echizen! Don't say such things!"

" Momo senpai is so innocent." He smirked. And stop that! It hurts!" Ryoma protested as Momo had pounced on him and gave his ear a sharp yank for daring to think, even say such a thing out loud.

" Quiet down! They're walking this way!" Oishi ordered. Unfortunately, his efforts were in vain as everyone seemed to break out of their frozen state one by one. He practically held his breath nervously as Tezuka led Jackasa out of the courts area.

The pair was almost completely past the area the team was hiding at when they suddenly stopped and Tezuka's deep voice sounded, clear and as no nonsense as it could get, causing everyone to freeze momentarily.

" Minna. I expect 50 laps at the start of the next practice. Is that clear?"

While no one dared to answer, by then, they already knew they had no choice but to obey. Tezuka was back to his old self.

000000000


	10. Chapter 9

**Life's A Stage**

Chapter 9: We All Fall Down 

_Author's Note: Sorry for the long wait but I've been rethinking over things and I've begun editing bits of the previous chapters which will hopefully make the story sounds better as a whole. The changes are minor though, so no worries. I also shortened the long summary in the prologue. I wonder what I was thinking having my summary that long lol._

"Come on, just a little bit more..." Jackasa muttered to herself as she added a few more drops of solution into the beaker. She gave a mental exclamation of joy when the liquid inside started to turn blue. Now she could write down the results and hopefully have a slightly earlier lunch break. Shima-sensei usually allowed them to go off once they had finished their experiments and handed in their reports to him.

Halfway into writing her analysis, Jackasa made a mistake and while reaching into her pencil case, she suddenly remembered that her eraser had been missing since that morning. Normally, if she found herself in a situation like this, drawing a line over the error would have sufficed; but it was weird to cancel pencil writing, plus, there was an entire line she wanted to rewrite and writing on top of it would make it look cluttered up and messy. She sighed. It looked like she'd have no choice but to borrow someone's eraser, and considering that her bench partner and the ones sitting right in front of her had already left; the only person she could go and was not busy with their own experiment was Tetsuya Mano, who sat two benches in front of her. Though she could ask the two people sitting behind her… but they were Saikoubi's devotees; and at the moment, Jackasa just did not want to have anything to do with Seigaku's ice queen for a while.

Not especially when it reminded her of what had happened two weeks ago.

"Thank you Mano-san. Sorry to disturb you."

"That's fine. Say, do you need any help in carrying your things back to the classroom?"

"Nah, I should be alright. But thanks for the offer." Jackasa smiled.

"You sure? You're still limping a little." Mano referred to her injured leg.

Jackasa's injury was unfortunately related to the incident with Saikoubi. Two weeks ago had been Seigaku's annual sports meet, and Jackasa had signed up for tennis, upon a certain red-head boy's persuasion. And let's just say it had not gone very well. Since her relationship with Tezuka had been discovered by the tennis team members, it had not taken long till accidental, unintentional slips were made during practice; and gossip travels fast on the vine when in a high-school. Thankfully, the rumour going round was just that Tezuka had a girlfriend but said girl's identity was unknown- she and the tennis captain hid their relationship well, making sure they weren't intimate with each other in public, and with their already established status as two who were usually at loggerheads, it was not hard thing to do. In fact, most people did not really believe that Tezuka even had a girlfriend anyway.

How Saikoubi came to know was thanks to Horio, whom she just happened to overhear talking a tad to loudly (as usual) to Kato. She had then ambushed the two unsuspecting ichinen and threatened them into giving her more information. Unable to lie, they had told her that Tezuka was seeing Jackasa, "But that was it! We swear we didn't say anymore!" Horio and Kato had pleaded to Tezuka, who had seemed then to be resisting very hard to make them run laps or something.

So Saikoubi, knowing the secret, had taken it out on Jackasa during their match. The cheer-captain had the edge in the game she used to be in the girl's tennis team in middle school; just that she had dropped tennis in favour of cheerleading upon entering high-school.

Needless to say, Saikoubi had gone all out and ruthless in the game, during which she had casually dropped some snide remarks about how inappropriate the relationship was.

"_At the end of the year, you'll leave and Kunim__itsu will forget all about you", Saikoubi sneered at Jackasa when they crossed paths to change courts. "Someone like you cannot fully appreciate tennis and his passion for it. I'll bet behind those smiles, they're just pitying you because you're a poor exchange student and living with their dear captain. But you're really just hindering them you know. Look at your tennis style, you're pathetic."_

Throughout the game, Saikoubi had continued with her scathing comments whenever she had the chance, and the irony was that no one else heard what she was saying. Her words had been masked by a saccharine smile that was dazzling to her supporters and at times, it even looked at if she was cheering on Jackasa. No one knew that in reality her words dripped with venom.

The match had been fierce and intense. Although somewhere in between, Jackasa had managed to win just one set, but it was through sheer luck and due her inbuilt flexibility and speed. But the running to and fro had started to make her tire out, and Saikoubi had seen through that; and used the opportunity to bring out her true power and special skills that she had been hiding. Because it looked like an accident, no one could really out the cheer-captain for foul play, but some in the audience felt that in the last two sets, Saikoubi had intentionally aimed her shots at awkward angles, and that was how Jackasa had come to sprain her ankle…

And that was how Jackasa had ended up in her current situation. Though she had been taken off the crutches, she still wore a light layer of support bandage around the afflicted area; and there were the occasional moments where it started throbbing with dull pain. During which, she'd wryly think of Tezuka and his shoulder._So this is how it feels..._

Back to the present, Jackasa was just in the midst of thanking Mano for his eraser, when there was a loud "Shing!" that resembled glass exploding, followed by a girly shriek. Jackasa turned around and to her horror, the beaker containing her experiment had been shattered to pieces.

"What the…"

"Now what's the problem here!" Shima-sensei's voice boomed as he came rushing down the aisle. Seeing the glass on and around the table, he ordered the students around that area not to move, and sent Jackasa to fetch the lab technician to clean the mess as it is dangerous to touch chemicals.

Then, he took Jackasa aside and asked her what had happened, which was quite fruitless, because she had not been at her desk. What was shocking was that the when the lab technician had cleaned the place up, he reported that there were traces of a mildly inflammable chemical in the solution. Which was really weird, because the experiment did not deal with any?

Shima-sensei thought for a while, and then looked gravely at Jackasa, "Before you added the chemicals, did you check the label on the bottle first to see if you were adding the right one?"

"Y…yes sensei, I'm quite sure I did!" Jackasa was a little taken aback, "I mean, the experiment went without a problem. I even wrote down the results."

"Hm, very well then, I shall let this pass. Just be careful in the future Jackasa-san. Since you're done you can hand in your report and leave."

"Hai…" Jackasa was about to return to her lab table when a nervous girly voice spoke up. It belonged to Marika, the girl who sat behind her, and Marika's partner Reiko was with her too. Great, just what she needed, bitch queen's lackeys had probably come laugh at her. She braced herself.

"Ano… Shima-sensei, sorry to interrupt you. But it concerns Jackasa-san's experiment. If we may…"

Mariko was one of those girls who seemed to stammer and shyly avoided looking at whoever talked to her. But considering she was friends with Sato Saikoubi, so the fumbling nervousness was probably just a ruse to get people to overlook her. Saikoubi hated brainless airheads and she made it known frequently, when such girls tried to win their way into the cheer captain's inner circle. Plus it was rumoured that Saikoubi consulted Mariko for ideas whenever she wanted to make someone's day unforgettable (in the negative sense). Whatever it was, Mariko was more than meets the eye.

Whatever it was, either the rumours were exaggerated or Mariko was very convincing in her act that even Jackasa found it hard to believe the girl could have a vicious streak in her.

"Go on Mariko-kun." Shima-sensei said.

Mariko turned to Jackasa with a look of pity "Ah… Jackasa-san… I… d…don't know how to say this… " Mariko stopped and looked as if she was about to cry. Reiko patted her on the back and told her to take a deep breath before talking. "Your report… it… it's… I tried to save it but it's ruined!"

Next to Mariko, Reiko held up a piece of paper that was soaked translucent; the only thing to distinguish it as the aforementioned assignment was that the top of the page with Jackasa's handwritten name and the experiment title had been miraculously left untouched. "It must have blown into the sink. You should weigh down next time."

"Wha…" Jackasa was perplexed. She could have sworn she had not put her assignment anywhere near the sink. In fact, because her bench partner had left, she had purposely put it on the empty table; and she had weighed down the paper with her pencil box. Plus there was no draft in the lab that would have been strong enough to blow it into the sink. It just wasn't possible.

_Unless…._

Jackasa studied the two girls carefully. Those two sat at the back of the lab. There were no witnesses if they decided to do something... her lab report was soaked through as if someone had stuck it directly under a running tap.

Since there was no solid evidence, Jackasa was unable to officially accuse the two girls of sabotage. Shima-sensei still insisted she must have been careless somehow, and made her to stay back after school to redo the experiment.

The third year members of the Seigaku tennis team were eating lunch when Jackasa came up to the table and sat down at a free space after uttering a rather un-genki "Ohayo..."

Because she seemed engrossed with her lunch, she did not notice that a shared look of concern passed amongst the boys, which somehow led to Oishi being made the one to ask "Ano… Jackasa-san… are you alright?"

"Oh, I'm just peachy." She replied despondently, as if she was distracted by something.

"Sa… Jackasa, by any chance, did you meeting with Shima-sensei not go well?" Fuji cheerfully piped.

"What? You were called in by your teacher?" Oishi blushed and stammered, "I didn't know! I'm sorry I asked, Jackasa-san."

"Nah, it's ok, it's no big deal. It's just that things haven't been going well lately."

Of course at this, everyone became curious, and knowing that she was not going to escape, Jackasa explained the whole situation.

For the past week or so, weird things had started happening to Jackasa. For example, some of her assignments went randomly missing- work that she sworn she had done and packed, because when she returned home, they were not anywhere in her room. Often a day or two later, she'd arrive at school to find said work mysteriously on her desk. On top of that, the marks of her weekly quizzes had dropped, particularly for the maths and science subjects. Upon inspection, she had found faint markings to suggest that someone had tampered with her answers, adding numbers here and there so that her workings and solutions were wrong. And there had been that chemistry lab incident. It all seemed rather fishy if you asked her, but she could not seem to pinpoint who would want to spite her.

"Nyah, Maybe it's _her_." Eiji said in a staged whisper. There was no doubt to which 'her' was being referred to.

"But how, I mean, they're not in the same class!" Oishi pointed out. "Plus I don't see why Sato-san would want to spite her… she won that tennis match…"

"She injured Jackasa on purpose! What makes you think she didn't do this too! I bet she has some kind of scary psychic powers!"

"Shh! Not so loud Eiji! We're in the canteen! And you know there's no such thing as psychics."

"But she di(d)… nyah…" the lanky redhead sighed in defeat as the entire table looked at him.

"Anyway, as we were saying, Sato-san won the match so I guess that's out…"

"Actually, Sato-san did not really win in a way." Inui suddenly stated from his seat, where he was scribbling goodness-knows-what into his notebook rapidly. Everyone immediately turned their attention to the data collector.

Inui was unfazed. "Sato-san only won because Jackasa-san was injured and they couldn't continue."

"But she'd have won anyway because she had better knowledge of the game, and there was only one set left…" Oishi began then realized what he had said and blushed once more. "Ah… sorry Jackasa-san, I shouldn't say that…"

"That's alright. I know I suck at tennis." Jackasa smiled slightly. Thanks to the tennis regulars, she was feeling a little better although she was still confused. "But Oishi-san does have a point there."

"Sa… you know, Inui might have something going there." Fuji commented. "That is if you are thinking what I am thinking…"

"Please, do enlighten us." Inui's spectacles seemed to gleam, reflecting an unknown light-source.

The blue-eyed tensai continued, "Sato Saikoubi is upset that she did not win the real prize."

"Huh? There was a prize involved?" Eiji asked, forgetting he was supposed to stay silent, "You mean, like a bet? Jackasa-san," he turned to the said girl, "you made a bet with the ice queen?"

"Huh? There wasn't anything like that!" Jackasa protested.

Kawamura, who had been quiet all this while, suddenly piped up "Erm… I think what Fujiko means is that Sato-san and Jackasa-san somehow ended up playing for something without actually making a bet, but it was probably something they both understood… and I have no idea what I'm saying…"

"You're so clever Taka-san" Fuji grinned, causing Kawamura to blush slightly. "That is exactly what I mean."

"Which is?" Jackasa asked. Now they were speculating that she made some sort of bet that never existed. This was just turning weird. She wondered if she had done the right thing to tell them about her worries in the first place.

At that moment, more Saikoubi's words from the match just rang in her head. _"They're just having fun at your expense. You're a foreigner who amuses them."_

_Oh just shut. up. already._ Jackasa scolded the taunting voice mentally. She decided to add to the conversation to distract her from thinking of ridiculous thoughts. Of all things, she certainly did not want to end up agreeing with Saikoubi.

"So Fuji, Inui," Jackasa interrupted the conversation, "I believe you guys were about to say something?"

"Sa… we got sidetracked." Fuji smiled. "But I'm surprised you haven't guessed by now Jackasa."

"Um…"_Well, if I knew I wouldn't be asking right…_

"It's rather simple if you think of it… what is the one thing that both you and Sato-san desire?"

"Erm… to win the match?"

"Nyah, tell us already Fuji!" Eiji whined.

"Alright, alright," Fuji grinned, patting his friend on the head. "The answer is right there." He opened his eyes and stared directly opposite him.

"… Fuji…" Oishi spoke up in the silence, "There's nothing there but Tezuka…ah…" he made sense what his teammate was saying and nervously averted his eyes from the tennis captain's piercing stare.

It did not take long till one by one, the truth dawned on everyone at the table. And when they realized, eventually everyone was unconsciously staring at Tezuka, who in turn felt extremely awkward, although he did not show it.

"Are all of you done objectifying me." Tezuka's voice was dangerously low, and his glasses glinted with an uncanny likeness to Inui's when the latter had just completed another one of his infamous health concoctions.

"Sa… But even you have to admit that it is a strong possibility Tezuka. After all, you've never really rejected Sato-san's advances in the past have you?"

Tezuka shot a narrow glare at Fuji. "I was indifferent to her. Isn't that enough? If the girl cannot take the hint then it's their problem."

For a moment, everyone was stunned at the tennis captain's response. It was rare to show any feeling, and yet he had snapped out that statement quite defensively.

"Sigh, Tezuka, if I didn't know you so well, I'd call you cold", Oishi smiled at his childhood friend wryly. "But back to the matter at hand, I do think that you should go and talk to Sato-san. Even if she turns out 'innocent' in all this, you're the only one here who would be able to elicit an answer out of her."

"Nyah, Oishi is right. She wouldn't give the rest of us the time of the day! C'mon Tezuka, you want know who's been bullying poor Jackasa-kun right?"

_Oh no, __I have a bad feeling about this. Kami-sama, please don't start..._ Tezuka groaned inwardly. The last thing he wanted to do was to explain what had happened one summer two years ago... back when he was fifteen, and not knowing any better. He had allowed himself to get into something that he was desperately trying to forget.

Unfortunately, his mental pleas were in vain. Inui chose this moment to add to the discussion. "You know, it's really curious as to why Sato-san would go to such lengths with Jackasa. Even though she has done some pretty mean things, she has never physically hurt someone she was having issues with before."

"Great to know that I'm So Special." Jackasa replied sarcastically.

"I'm sure _she_ will get bored of it after awhile, so don't worry about it too much Jackasa-san." Fuji patted her reassuringly, although his eyes never left Tezuka, whom his next statement was directed at. "Are you sure that you've nothing going on with Sato Saikoubi?"

Fuji's query was answered with a resounding wham as Tezuka's clenched fist met the table, the impact of which made the plastic bento boxes and utensils on it vibrate. Fortunately the noise from the other students in the cafeteria masked the noise. Tezuka's face was still in its usual stoic mask, but the lines on his forehead and the angry blush on his cheeks sad that he had snapped. His mouth twitched and he looked as if he was about the say something, but he was just glaring at Fuji rather menacingly; not that Fuji seemed to care, the tensai met his captain's stare with a frosty smiled that dared the former to challenge him.

Tezuka rose from his seat, and for a moment, it seemed like the taller boy was actually going to reach over and punch Fuji. The atmosphere was so tense that even Oishi was mentally preparing himself to tackle Tezuka if needed. Oishi's mind was in panic-mode, running a list of explanations and excuses he would have to make to the other students and teachers in the cafeteria when they saw their student president engaged in a brawl with one of his good friends no less.

Fortunately, the vice-captain's worries did not become a reality. After a moment, Tezuka broke eye contact with Fuji, gathered his things, and left the table.

"Ahem…" Jackasa's nervous interjection made them realize that they had all gone awfully quiet for some time.

"Can someone please explain what the heck is going on?"

"_If you're trying to make me think less of __you, you have succeeded. Not that I had a very high regard of you."_

The words had haunting, taunting, provoking her for the past two days. Saikoubi growled and in her anger, kicked a can lying on the pavement into a flock of unsuspecting pigeons, causing them to scatter and fly away in a feathered flurry.

Tezuka had come to her as she knew he would. But from there, nothing had gone as Saikoubi had planned. Sure, she had not expected the stoic captain to sweep her up in his arms, admit the error of his ways and make sweet fucking love to her. But his words had been harsh, biting and the look in his eye had been that of contempt.

It was supposed to be the perfect plan. She had just meant to show Tezuka that that the foreigner was not suited for him in the long-run, and yet Tezuka was acting as if she had tried to kill his dear girlfriend. Sure, he might have reason to believe so during the tennis match in which Saikoubi had been accused of injuring Jackasa, but Saikoubi knew that Jackasa would not have gone down without a fight. The girl was tougher than she appeared, and probably knew full-well what she was getting into when she accepted Saikoubi's challenge.

Saikoubi's point had been more to wake Tezuka up. The girl was going to leave and return to wherever she came from at the end of the year. Unlike Saikoubi, Jackasa did not have or understand the passion for tennis. She hadn't been there for the selection matches - when Saikoubi had pointed that out, Tezuka had merely shrugged and said that there wasn't need for her to be there.

When she had followed up and asked what he thought of her being there, he had said it didn't matter. _"But," he had added, "Just so you know for your own good, if you keep this behaviour up people might this you're getting desperate."_

Desperate. Do desperate girls make a habit of going for the most perfect and difficult guy of the lot? Saikoubi was no innocent and had a couple of sexual relationships in the past, but if there was one thing she hated most was to be rejected. If Tezuka thought she was just some easy lay then he was sorely mistaken. No one escaped her on their own accord. No one.

Saikoubi stomped angrily to the café where she had arranged to meet Mariko and Reiko. But the sight of something, or rather, someone, made her stop in her tracks.

Her rival for Tezuka's affections was standing at the entrance of a bookshop a few doors away from the café. She was talking to someone on the phone. But what interested Saikoubi was that Jackasa seemed to be looking up and down the road, as if was waiting for someone. To prevent herself from being recognized, Saikoubi slipped on her big vintage sunglasses and hid herself being a rack of clothes displayed outside a discount clothes shop.

After a while, Saikoubi was beginning to think that her efforts were for naught. Maybe the person Jackasa was waiting for wasn't going to show up, or maybe she just liked to stand on pavements- people could be weird like that, so who knew? Whatever it was, Saikoubi was going to be late for her appointment if she did not get moving soon. It looked like she was just going to have to suck it up and walk past Jackasa. Maybe the other girl would be too preoccupied to not notice her.

Squaring her shoulders, Saikoubi was about to walk out from her hiding spot when a car pulled up in front of the bookshop. Now this would not be an unusual thing on any given day, but the car was a big black jaguar with tinted windows. What more, Jackasa was walking to the car. The back door nearest to her swung open and a man stepped out. No, not a man, Saikoubi realized, but a boy. And from his stature, he appeared to be around their age. She couldn't see his face as his back faced her- he was holding the door open for Jackasa- and he had silver blonde hair and wore a school uniform with checkered pants. The uniform was seemed somewhat familiar but for the moment rang no bells in Saikoubi's memory… and for some reason; she thought she recognized the boy. Jackasa stiffened when the boy had come out of the car, and she immediately looked up and down the street nervously, as if she did not want to be recognized, or it could be that the boy was some celebrity and she was scared of him being recognized… perhaps it was both.

Whatever it was, by the time both Jackasa and the mystery boy had gotten into the car and drove off, Saikoubi was smirking gleefully.

She had the perfect material for revenge. Now all she needed was the perfect plan and timing to use it.

There was a skip in her step as she walked to the café.


End file.
